Three Democratic U.S. senators used a Capitol Hill press conference Tuesday to sharpen opposition to the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, arguing that the market-structure bill should not advance without stronger ethics limits on federal officials' crypto activity.

Senators Chris Murphy, Chris Van Hollen and Jeff Merkley said the current debate is not only about how to split digital asset oversight between regulators. Their central objection is that a broad crypto framework could become law while President Donald Trump and his family remain financially tied to crypto ventures.

The pushback matters because the bill needs Democratic votes to clear the Senate's 60-vote threshold. The Hill reported that Republican leaders are aiming to start consideration during the week of July 20, just before Congress' August recess. That gives negotiators little time to resolve disputes over ethics language, illicit finance rules, developer liability and regulator staffing.

The Clarity Act would create a wider federal framework for digital assets than the stablecoin-focused GENIUS Act. Supporters say that structure is overdue. Critics now say they want market rules paired with direct restrictions on elected officials and senior government figures who may profit from crypto products.

For now, the verified development is narrower than a collapse of the bill: a group of Senate Democrats is drawing a public line around ethics provisions, and that line could determine whether the legislation gets enough votes to move this summer.