Defend Developers PAC Joins CLARITY Act Push as Senate Waits

Crypto developers have a new political action committee in their corner. Defend Developers launched today with a mission to back American crypto developers, DeFi builders, and blockchain technologists as the CLARITY Act heads to the Senate floor — though a floor date remains TBD, which in Washington usually means "soon, possibly."

The PAC's arrival gives a meaningful boost to legal protections for developers, a key sticking point in negotiations between Republicans and Democrats. Law enforcement groups have criticized the Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act (BRCA) provision tucked inside CLARITY, arguing it makes cracking down on illicit activity harder. The provision shields DeFi developers from liability for users' activities on their platforms and keeps them out of the money transmitter classification — a distinction developers care about deeply.

The PAC isn't the only one weighing in. Some 160 former national security, intelligence, and law enforcement professionals signed a letter organized by the Blockchain Association in support of the bill, framing it as a law-enforcement and national security priority. Nothing says bipartisan like the same bill being championed by cypherpunks and former spooks at the same time.

The CLARITY Act advanced to the Senate floor after the Senate Banking Committee's markup, and the bill is now on the Senate legislative calendar. The Senate still needs to merge the bill with the Senate Agriculture Committee's text before deliberation can begin. Senate Majority Leader John Thune has yet to announce a date, a familiar holding pattern for anyone who's watched crypto legislation inch through Congress.

Senator Cynthia Lummis didn't hold back during a CNBC interview today when asked about JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon's recent comments on the CLARITY Act. "He either hasn't read the bill, or he wants to mislead people," she said. Dimon had claimed the bill contained no AML and BSA provisions, despite banks being subject to such compliance. Lummis countered that the bill includes up to 16 references clarifying that AML and BSA provisions applying to banks also apply to the crypto industry, and noted they are now looking to wrap the legislation into a single bill that addresses all issues.