Trump meets senators on crypto ethics for Clarity Act

President Donald Trump met with key senators and White House advisers on Thursday, July 16, in a high-stakes effort to resolve the final obstacle blocking a landmark cryptocurrency bill from a Senate vote. The meeting, held at the White House at 2:30 p.m., focused on negotiating ethics language that would govern how senior federal officials, including the president, can profit from digital assets while in office.

The legislation, known as the Clarity Act, aims to establish the first comprehensive federal regulatory framework for digital assets. It has already passed the House of Representatives and cleared the Senate Banking Committee with bipartisan support. Senate Majority Leader John Thune has stated his intention to bring the bill to a full Senate vote before the August recess, which begins on August 7.

The ethics provision has emerged as the primary point of contention, with Democratic senators insisting it is a prerequisite for their support. Their votes are considered essential for the bill to reach the 60-vote threshold needed to advance in the Senate. The issue gained urgency last month when Trump's financial disclosure revealed hundreds of millions of dollars in...