Bitcoin Magazine
Bitcoin, BTC-Related Stocks Tumble After Senate Blocks Clarity Act
Following the blockage of the long-awaited Clarity Act, the price of bitcoin fell alongside numerous cryptocurrency-related stocks.
The premier cryptocurrency recently traded at $75,939, reflecting a 4% decline over the trailing 24 hours, after dipping as low as $75,038 during Tuesday’s session.
Lawmakers defeated the landmark digital asset market structure bill in a procedural vote on Tuesday. Major companies within the digital asset ecosystem have long advocated for formal regulatory rules to govern the sector.
Bitcoin was not the only asset affected, as BTC-associated equities like Coinbase (NASDAQ: COIN) and Strategy (MSTR) also experienced declines.
Shares of the largest U.S. crypto exchange plummeted by over 10%, while Strategy, which serves as the largest corporate holder of bitcoin, dropped by more than 5%.
BREAKING:
U.S. Senate DOES NOT PASS the Clarity Act in its procedural cloture vote.
— Bitcoin Magazine (@BitcoinMagazine) September 15, 2026
Major publicly traded bitcoin mining firms similarly faced losses, with MARA, CleanSpark, and Core Scientific all sliding by 5% or more over the past day.
Senators ultimately voted against advancing the legislation—which the digital asset industry has long requested—with 49 votes in favor and 50 against.
The legislation is designed to officially divide oversight between regulators, specifically clarifying which digital assets qualify as securities, commodities, or stablecoins.
Last month, President Donald Trump encouraged lawmakers to pass the measure, helping ignite a bitcoin rally. However, Republicans had warned for months that Democrats were intentionally stalling the initiative.
And stall it they did: prominent anti-crypto senator Elizabeth Warren cautioned Congress against supporting the legislation on Tuesday, harshly criticizing the bill as “a massive risk to families.”
Meanwhile, Senator Bernie Sanders posted on X to characterize the bill as “corrupt.”
Lawmakers objected to the legislation because they argued it unfairly enabled Trump to profit from the cryptocurrency sector. The president’s family has engaged in multiple crypto ventures since Trump assumed office, though the White House has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
“Crypto billionaires have spent nearly $300M on the midterm elections,” Sanders noted.
“Meanwhile, Trump and his family have pocketed more than $1.4B from crypto deals.”
On the other side of the aisle, pro-crypto senator Cynthia Lummis strongly condemned Democrats for halting the bill.
Writing on X, the Republican lawmaker stated: “The once-proud Democratic party is anti-consumer and pro-illicit finance, anti-ethics, anti-free enterprise, anti-worker, anti-livable wage jobs, and pro-socialism. The Democrats are now anti-American.”
What is the Clarity Act?
The Clarity Act is a digital asset market structure bill intended to divide oversight between regulators and establish whether specific digital assets are securities, commodities, or stablecoins.
How did the Senate vote on the Clarity Act?
The Senate blocked the bill in a procedural cloture vote, with 49 senators voting in favor and 50 voting against it.
How did crypto stocks react to the Senate vote?
Cryptocurrency stocks tumbled, with Coinbase shares dropping over 10%, Strategy sliding by over 5%, and bitcoin mining firms like MARA, CleanSpark, and Core Scientific falling 5% or more.
What was Bitcoin’s price after the vote?
Bitcoin’s price traded around $75,939—down 4% over a 24-hour period—after dropping as low as $75,038 on Tuesday.
