CFTC chair says agency may move on crypto market rules if Clarity Act remains stalled

According to Decrypt, U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chair Michael Selig said the agency is prepared to use its existing authority to begin building a regulatory framework for crypto asset markets if the Clarity Act remains stalled due to Democratic opposition. Selig said he has directed staff to study how digital asset market structure could be folded into CFTC rules and to move quickly on formal rule proposals. His remarks suggest the scope could extend beyond firms already registered with the CFTC. Unregistered crypto exchanges could also fall within the agency’s regulatory reach if such a framework advances. The report added that rules tailored to digital assets may allow leveraged and margin trading, pointing to a market structure approach rather than a blanket restriction. The same news item also cited strong ETF flow data and large liquidation figures. Bitcoin ETFs posted $606 million in net inflows, the highest single-day total since May 1, while Ethereum ETFs recorded $219 million in net inflows, the highest level since September 2025. In derivatives markets, more than $1.2 billion in short positions were liquidated over the past 24 hours, with liquidations across the last two days nearing $5 billion.