US Senate Committee Schedules CLARITY Act Vote as Ripple Secures UK Regulatory Approval

Senate Banking Committee Advances Major Crypto Legislation

The Senate Banking Committee has officially scheduled a markup session for the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act of 2025 on January 15 at 10 AM ET, representing a significant step forward in establishing federal cryptocurrency regulations ^[1].

Chairman Tim Scott confirmed the timeline and indicated that the legislation has garnered strong bipartisan support following several amendments ^[1]. According to the committee's procedural notice, the manager's amendment will be distributed on January 12, with all member amendments due by January 13, providing committee members adequate time to review proposed changes before the markup ^[1].

The development follows a recent bipartisan meeting on the CLARITY Act and signals the committee's decision to move forward with the U.S. House version of the bill rather than developing separate Senate legislation, a shift that could potentially accelerate the legislative process ^[1].

Parallel Agricultural Committee Action

Concurrently, the Senate Agriculture Committee is preparing its own cryptocurrency bill markup, which will concentrate on the Commodity Futures Trading Commission's authority over digital assets ^[1]. Unlike the Banking Committee's advance notice requirements, the Agriculture Committee only needs to provide 24 hours' notice before conducting its markup session ^[1].

Contentious DeFi Provisions Draw Criticism

Chairman Scott emphasized that months of bipartisan negotiations have shaped the bill, which aims to establish clear cryptocurrency rules and position the United States as a global leader in digital assets ^[1]. However, certain provisions remain controversial.

Advocacy group 'Investors For Transparency' has raised concerns about the decentralized finance (DeFi) provisions, which would regulate decentralized platforms as centralized intermediaries ^[1]. Critics contend these rules fail to accommodate the fundamental nature of decentralized networks, with Democrats reportedly advocating for these provisions, making them a major point of contention ahead of the markup ^[1].

Ripple Secures Dual UK Licensing

In a separate regulatory development, Ripple has received approval from the British Financial Conduct Authority for both an Electronic Money Institution license and registration as a cryptocurrency company, the firm announced on January 9 ^[2].

The Electronic Money Institution license authorizes Ripple to issue electronic money and provide payment services within the United Kingdom ^[2]. The accompanying cryptocurrency company registration obligates Ripple to comply with British anti-money laundering requirements and know-your-customer procedures ^[2].

According to Ripple, the approval expands the company's existing regulatory portfolio and enables an expansion of payment services offered in the British market ^[2].

Monica Long, President of Ripple, stated: "The expansion of Ripple's licenses and payment solutions aims not only at efficiency but at mobilizing tied-up capital and enabling real-time global payment transactions" ^[2].

UK Regulatory Framework Evolution

The Financial Conduct Authority's decision comes as the United Kingdom pursues comprehensive regulatory reforms in the cryptocurrency sector ^[2]. The British government plans to fully regulate crypto-assets as financial products by 2027, with financial authorities announcing particular focus on stablecoin payments and market integrity in future oversight ^[2].

Despite the regulatory milestone, the XRP token showed minimal market reaction, rising only 0.4 percent in the 24 hours following the announcement ^[2].

These developments on both sides of the Atlantic reflect the ongoing evolution of cryptocurrency regulatory frameworks as governments and financial authorities work to balance innovation with investor protection and market integrity.