Bessent presses for CLARITY Act passage this summer as strategic bitcoin reserve moves "deliberately"

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urged lawmakers to advance the CLARITY Act over the summer, telling the Senate Finance Committee to "get behind" the proposal as part of a push to establish federal crypto rules and position the U.S. as "the innovation capital of the world." Bessent pointed to a narrowing legislative window, with budget battles and the November midterms expected to crowd the calendar. He also said the strategic bitcoin-native reserve is "moving forward" but at a "deliberate speed," signaling a more cautious pace than earlier White House guidance. A White House adviser said in April that a major reserve announcement would come "in weeks." Now, in June, Bessent described the process as complicated.