U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Paul Atkins (폴 앳킨스) has publicly voiced support for the CLARITY bill, a cryptocurrency market-structure measure. As the U.S. Congress moves to pass the bill before its summer recess, attention is on whether the regulator chief’s support will add momentum to the debate.

Bitcoin Magazine reported on July 28 that Atkins said on X, formerly Twitter, that he is "committed to supporting Congress" to advance the CLARITY bill.

He also shared a CNBC interview video, saying U.S. leadership in the digital finance revolution begins with building a regulatory framework that matches the capabilities of U.S. innovators. He again stressed the need for separate legislation for the cryptocurrency market.

The comments came as Congress seeks to push through the CLARITY bill before its August recess. The draft was prepared on a bipartisan basis, but some Democratic lawmakers are maintaining opposition while demanding amendments, making last-minute negotiations the biggest variable.

The CLARITY bill is the first comprehensive U.S. market-structure bill to clarify the legal status of cryptocurrencies and supervisory authority. If it passes, the regulatory framework for the broader U.S. cryptocurrency industry is expected to become clearer. The bill passed the House last year with bipartisan support, but Senate debate has been delayed for a long period this year as Democratic demands for ethics provisions and pushback from the banking sector overlapped.

Some large banks in particular have raised concerns that deposits could flow out of banks if cryptocurrency exchanges offer high yields based on stablecoins. As a result, debate over the bill moved beyond a simple regulatory overhaul into a clash of interests between traditional finance and the digital-asset industry.

An amendment introduced last week newly included an ethics provision restricting senior government officials and their family members from issuing and promoting cryptocurrencies. Republicans are focusing on securing Democratic support on that basis and resuming deliberations on the bill this week.

Atkins took office last year as the SEC's 34th chair after being nominated by U.S. President Donald Trump. He has shown a more crypto-friendly regulatory stance than his predecessor, former chair Gary Gensler, and the market has assessed that the SEC's policy direction has changed significantly since he took office.

The bill is also securing support from major Wall Street financial institutions. Fidelity and Goldman Sachs, among others, have expressed support, saying the CLARITY bill can lay an institutional foundation for the U.S. digital asset market.

Some Democratic lawmakers, however, said in a recent joint statement that the current amendment alone does not adequately address conflicts of interest and consumer protection issues.

The market views this week's talks as an important watershed that will determine whether they can draw a bipartisan agreement over the amendment and whether the regulatory framework for the U.S. cryptocurrency market can enter a full-fledged legislative stage.