Trump to Host Crypto Leaders at White House as SEC Proposes Token‑Exemption Rules

President Donald Trump hosted crypto and finance executives at the White House on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, calling on Congress to pass a "fair version" of the Clarity Act, according to Decrypt. The gathering included Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse, Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev, Nasdaq CEO Adena Friedman, and others. CFTC Chair Michael Selig, SEC Chair Paul Atkins, and White House crypto advisor Patrick Witt joined Trump. The meeting preceded the inaugural CFTC Innovation Advisory Committee meeting on Thursday. Separately, the SEC on Tuesday proposed rules exempting certain token offerings from securities regulations. The Clarity Act, a market structure bill, is expected to return to the Senate floor in September after lawmakers recessed without a procedural vote.

Background

The White House meeting occurs as regulators advance crypto policy while broader market structure legislation remains stalled in Congress, per Decrypt. The Clarity Act would establish federal rules for digital assets and clarify the SEC and CFTC's respective authority over the industry. Lawmakers left for their August recess without holding a procedural vote, and Republicans still need roughly six Democratic votes to reach the 60-vote threshold in the Senate. Trump criticized the Biden administration's approach, accusing it of using regulation and enforcement to drive businesses overseas in what he called Operation Chokepoint 2.0. He pointed to his administration's strategic Bitcoin reserve, digital asset stockpile, ban on a U.S. central bank digital currency, and the GENIUS Act as policies adopted since he returned to office. The SEC's Tuesday proposal to exempt certain token offerings from securities regulations is another regulatory development. Trump also said CFTC Chair Selig is working to bring decentralized perpetual futures exchange Hyperliquid into the U.S. in a fully compliant and legal fashion. Executives from prediction market platforms Kalshi and Polymarket were not invited, as the White House decided to focus the meeting solely on crypto, according to a person familiar who spoke to Politico.

What happened

According to Decrypt, President Donald Trump on Wednesday called on Congress to pass a "fair version" of the Clarity Act at a White House meeting with crypto and finance executives. Trump said market structure legislation is the next step in his administration's digital asset agenda. He spoke ahead of the inaugural meeting of the CFTC's Innovation Advisory Committee on Thursday. CFTC Chair Michael Selig, SEC Chair Paul Atkins, and White House crypto advisor Patrick Witt joined Trump. Attendees included Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse, Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev, Nasdaq CEO Adena Friedman, Intercontinental Exchange CEO Jeff Sprecher, Kraken co-CEO Arjun Sethi, Chainlink co-founder Sergey Nazarov, Blockchain.com CEO Peter Smith, Gemini co-founders Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, and a16z crypto founder Chris Dixon. Trump said: "Now we need Congress to take the next step by passing the Clarity Act, a fair version of the Clarity Act." He described it as "a very, very powerful structure legislation which will keep us ahead of China, keep us ahead of everyone else." The Clarity Act is expected to return to the Senate floor in September after lawmakers left for their August recess without a procedural vote; Republicans need roughly six Democratic votes to reach 60. Trump also said Selig is working to bring Hyperliquid into the U.S. in a fully compliant and legal fashion. The SEC on Tuesday proposed rules to exempt certain token offerings from securities regulations. Kalshi and Polymarket executives were not invited, per Politico.

Market impact

The sources do not provide specific price, volume, or flow figures for crypto markets. Decrypt reports no token prices or trading data. The only numerical details are political and procedural: Republicans need roughly six Democratic votes to reach the 60-vote threshold for the Clarity Act in the Senate, and the bill is expected to return to the Senate floor in September after the August recess. The SEC's Tuesday proposal to exempt certain token offerings from securities regulations is described as potentially making it easier for crypto companies to issue tokens and raise money, but no market metrics are cited. Trump's remarks about bringing Hyperliquid into the U.S. are not accompanied by any figures. The article therefore cannot quantify market impact; any assessment of price or flow effects would be unsupported by the sources.

Why it matters

The meeting signals that the Trump administration is pressing Congress to act on market structure legislation even as regulators move ahead with crypto policy on their own. Decrypt reports that the Clarity Act would establish federal rules for digital assets and clarify the SEC and CFTC's respective authority, which the sources present as the next step in the administration's digital asset agenda. Trump's call for a "fair version" suggests possible changes to the bill, though the sources do not specify what those changes might be. The SEC's proposed token-offering exemptions could make it easier for crypto companies to issue tokens and raise money, according to Decrypt. Trump's comment that CFTC Chair Selig is working to bring Hyperliquid into the U.S. in a fully compliant and legal fashion indicates regulatory attention to decentralized perpetual futures. The exclusion of Kalshi and Polymarket executives, reported by Politico, shows the White House chose to focus the meeting solely on crypto. The Senate's September timeline and the need for roughly six Democratic votes mean the legislative path remains uncertain.