Developer Protections Move to Center of US Crypto Regulation Debate
Crypto regulation is entering a decisive Senate phase as 61 industry leaders, founders, and investors press lawmakers to preserve developer protections in the CLARITY Act. In a June 9 letter to Senate leaders John Thune (R-SD) and Charles Schumer (D-NY), the group urged passage with the Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act (BRCA) intact.
The appeal reflects rising industry concern over how market structure legislation could treat software builders, service providers, and decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols. The Senate Banking Committee recently advanced the Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act, a provision that would clarify how noncontrolling software developers and service providers are treated under U.S. law.
The group wrote:
“We respectfully urge the Senate to pass the Clarity Act with the bipartisan BRCA as advanced by the Committee.”
Developers sit at the center of the dispute, from core Bitcoin contributors to DeFi smart contract designers. The letter argues that open software projects need legal clarity to operate in the United States, especially when developers do not control customer funds or run financial intermediaries.
Industry leaders also framed the issue as broader than one provision. They urged lawmakers to preserve Section 601 of the CLARITY Act and Section 207 of the Digital Commodity Intermediaries Act, which address when securities and commodities laws apply to software developers and providers.
Coinbase, Block, Solana, and Uniswap Leaders Press for Clearer Lines
Signatories include Chris Dixon of A16z crypto, Mike Belshe of Bitho, Hunter Horsley of Bitwise Asset Management, Jack Dorsey of Block, Brian Armstrong of Coinbase, Barry Silbert of DCG, Mike Novogratz of Galaxy, Pascal Gauthier of Ledger, Arjun Sethi of Payward and Kraken, Anthony Scaramucci of Skybridge Capital, Anatoly Yakovenko of Solana Labs, Lily Liu of Solana Foundation, and Hayden Adams of Uniswap. Their participation shows how the fight now spans exchanges, venture firms, wallets, protocols, and infrastructure companies.
The group argues that clear rules would separate decentralized software activity from intermediated finance. That distinction could shape enforcement priorities, compliance costs, and whether crypto builders view the United States as a viable base for long-term development.
They wrote:
“Clear boundaries do not weaken enforcement; they strengthen it by distinguishing lawful activities from illicit or non-compliant conduct.”
The letter also supports the CLARITY Act’s sections on illicit finance and decentralized finance. The group argues those provisions would give regulators, prosecutors, and law enforcement tools to pursue unlawful actors while protecting legitimate builders from unclear obligations.
Senate action now carries major consequences for U.S. crypto policy. Passage with BRCA protections would give developers firmer legal footing, while changes could leave open-source contributors exposed to uncertainty. The letter frames that choice as central to whether digital asset innovation can continue expanding inside the United States.
