Crypto markets moved higher on Thursday after the Senate Banking Committee advanced the long-awaited digital asset market structure legislation known as the Clarity Act, marking a key step toward formal federal regulation of the sector.
The bill passed the committee in a 15–9 vote, with backing from two Democratic senators, and now moves to the full Senate for further consideration.
Bitcoin rose to $82,000 following the news as traders reacted positively to signs of regulatory progress in Washington. The asset later eased back to around $81,500, still up roughly 2.5% over the past 24 hours.
The rally extended into crypto-related equities as well. Coinbase (COIN) led the sector higher, jumping 8% on expectations that clearer rules could accelerate institutional adoption of digital assets. Strategy (MSTR) gained 7%, while Ethereum-focused treasury firm Bitmine (BMNR) added 5.6%.
Stablecoin issuer Circle (CRCL) and Bullish (BLSH), CoinDesk’s parent company, also recovered from earlier losses, turning sentiment more positive across the sector.
Broader risk appetite strengthened outside of crypto, with both the Nasdaq 100 and S&P 500 reaching new record highs.
Sentiment was further boosted by the strong public market debut of AI chipmaker Cerebras (CBRS), which traded as much as 100% above its IPO price, reinforcing investor enthusiasm for artificial intelligence-related stocks.
The AI-driven rally also spilled into data center and Bitcoin mining firms that have pivoted toward high-performance computing. Keel Infrastructure (KEEL), formerly Bitfarms, rose 9%, while IREN (IREN) and Hive Digital (HIVE) gained 5% and 8%, respectively, as investors continued rotating into AI-linked infrastructure plays.
