House Majority Whip Tom Emmer is defending developer protections inside the CLARITY Act as Senate negotiations over crypto market structure continue.

In a CoinDesk Policy Protocol interview published Friday, Emmer said concerns from law enforcement groups about the Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act are overstated. That provision is aimed at shielding some noncustodial blockchain software developers from money transmitter treatment when they do not hold customer funds.

Emmer framed the objections as a distraction from the broader market structure bill. He argued that developers who write or maintain software should not face the same compliance treatment as intermediaries that custody assets or move customer money. The distinction matters for decentralized finance teams, wallet builders, validators and other infrastructure providers that can otherwise face inconsistent state-by-state interpretations.

The comments come after the Senate Banking Committee advanced the CLARITY Act in a 15-9 vote, giving the bill momentum but not a guaranteed path to enactment. The legislation still has to survive Senate floor negotiations, potential changes from other committees and reconciliation with House-backed language.

For crypto builders, the narrow point is practical: whether federal law will draw a clearer line between financial intermediaries and software providers. Emmer said the bill should create clearer SEC and CFTC boundaries while keeping regulation focused on consumer protection and fraud prevention.