CFTC submits crypto market framework for White House review after CLARITY Act stalls
The CFTC sent a prerule on crypto asset transactions and markets to the White House for review on Sept. 17, days after the Senate killed the CLARITY Act.
Why it matters
The filing means the CFTC is pursuing crypto market regulation through executive action rather than waiting for Congress. The CLARITY Act's failure left the industry without a comprehensive statutory framework, and rules built on existing agency authority may be narrower and more vulnerable to later changes.
Key facts
The CFTC submitted a prerule titled 'Regulation Crypto Asset Transactions and Regulation Crypto Asset Markets' to OIRA on Sept. 17.
Reported by Crypto.News
The filing came two days after the Senate failed to advance the CLARITY Act in a 49-to-50 procedural vote on Sept. 15.
49Reported by Crypto.News
The proposal is at the prerule stage and its text has not been made public.
Reported by Crypto News Flash
The proposal must return to the CFTC for a vote before publication and public comment, then another vote to become effective.
Reported by Crypto.News
CFTC Chair Michael Selig posted on X that the agency was 'locked in and ready to ship' rules using existing statutory authority.
Reported by Cointelegraph
The CFTC issued no-action relief for passive crypto software providers, including some wallet interfaces, allowing them to connect users with derivatives markets without registering as introducing brokers.
Reported by CoinGape
The filing is listed as RIN 3038-AF80 and was still 'Pending Review' as of Sept. 18 with no legal deadline.
Reported by Crypto News Flash
What happened
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission submitted a prerule titled 'Regulation Crypto Asset Transactions and Regulation Crypto Asset Markets' to the White House's Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs on September 17. The filing came two days after the Senate failed to advance the CLARITY Act in a 49-to-50 procedural vote. CFTC Chair Michael Selig had directed staff to develop a framework using the agency's existing authority, and posted on X that the agency was 'locked in and ready to ship' rules for crypto markets. The proposal's text has not been released, and the CFTC declined to comment on its contents. It remains at the prerule stage and must return to the CFTC for a vote before publication and public comment. Separately, the CFTC issued no-action relief for certain passive crypto software providers, and the SEC introduced a conditional exemption for tokenized-stock platforms.
How the story developed
- Update
Senate fails to advance CLARITY Act
The procedural vote resulted in 49-to-50 against the legislation.
- Update
Selig posts on X about CFTC rulemaking
CFTC Chair Michael Selig wrote that the agency was 'locked in and ready to ship' crypto rules using existing authority.
- Update
CFTC submits prerule to OIRA
The filing titled 'Regulation Crypto Asset Transactions and Regulation Crypto Asset Markets' was received on Sept. 17 and listed at the prerule stage.
- Update
CFTC issues no-action relief for crypto developers
The Commission said it would not recommend enforcement action against developers of passive crypto trading tools if they do not register as introducing brokers, subject to conditions.
- Update
Multiple outlets report the filing
Crypto.News, Crypto News Flash, CoinGape, CoinDesk, Cointelegraph, Decrypt, and Bitcoin Magazine all published stories on Sept. 18.
- First report
First report by Crypto.News
CFTC submits crypto market framework for White House review
- Independent corroboration
Independently corroborated by Crypto News Flash
CFTC Sends Crypto Rules to White House as CLARITY Stalls
How coverage built up
Independent sources over time, counted the way the consensus panel counts them: a republication of a wire story does not move the line.
- 18 Sept 2026, 13:52 UTC: Crypto.News — 1 independent source, 1 reports
- 18 Sept 2026, 14:00 UTC: Crypto News Flash — 2 independent sources, 2 reports
- 18 Sept 2026, 14:32 UTC: CoinGape — 3 independent sources, 3 reports
- 18 Sept 2026, 15:16 UTC: CoinDesk — 4 independent sources, 4 reports
- 18 Sept 2026, 16:04 UTC: Cointelegraph — 5 independent sources, 5 reports
- 18 Sept 2026, 16:08 UTC: Decrypt — 6 independent sources, 6 reports
- 18 Sept 2026, 20:00 UTC: Bitcoin Magazine — 7 independent sources, 7 reports
- 19 Sept 2026, 16:13 UTC: Bitcoin Insider — 8 independent sources, 8 reports
Affected entities
Also mentioned: Bitcoin, Brian Armstrong, Coinbase, Federal Reserve, Paul Atkins, Cynthia Lummis
Original sources
| Publisher | Report | Role | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crypto.News Crypto media | CFTC submits crypto market framework for White House review | Original | |
| CoinDesk Crypto media | CFTC sends crypto rules to White House to review as Congress stalls on Clarity Act | Independent | |
| Cointelegraph Crypto media | CFTC submits crypto market regulation plan for White House review | Independent | |
| Decrypt Crypto media | CFTC Kicks Off Crypto Rulemaking, Bypassing a Stalled Congress | Independent | |
| Bitcoin Magazine Crypto media | CFTC Sends Proposal To Regulate Crypto Transactions Following Clarity Act Fail | Independent | |
| CoinGape Crypto media | CFTC Files Proposed Crypto Rules With White House as CLARITY Act Stalls | Independent | |
| Crypto News Flash Crypto media | CFTC Sends Crypto Rules to White House as CLARITY Stalls | Independent | |
| Bitcoin Insider Aggregator | CFTC Sends Crypto-Market Rulemaking to the White House as Congress Stalls | Syndicated |
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