The "CLARITY Act" brings what level of uncertainty to the 2026 midterm elections?

Original Title: National survey of voters shows bipartisan support for American leadership in cryptocurrencies and passing the CLARITY Act.

Original Author: HarrisX

Original Translation Compiled by: Peggy, BlockBeats

Editor's Note: Crypto regulation is emerging as a new variable in the 2026 US midterm elections.

The HarrisX survey shows that national voters not only support, across party lines, the United States maintaining leadership in digital finance and cryptocurrencies but also broadly support passing the CLARITY Act.

Note: HarrisX conducted an online poll of 2,008 registered voters from May 1 to 4, 2026.

This bill was originally a regulatory framework legislation, its core being to clarify the regulatory boundaries of the SEC and CFTC over digital assets, establish registration rules for exchanges and custodians, and strengthen consumer protection. However, based on the HarrisX survey results, its political significance extends beyond the crypto industry itself: 37% of voters said they would be more likely to support a senator if they voted for the bill; overall, supporting the CLARITY Act could yield a net electoral gain of 20 percentage points.

More noteworthy is the bipartisan crossover. The survey shows that 47% of voters say that if a candidate supports the CLARITY Act, while their preferred party does not, they would consider voting for a candidate outside their party. This percentage is even higher among cryptocurrency holders, voters familiar with digital assets, and those aware of the bill.

This means the CLARITY Act is not just a legislative attempt by the crypto industry to seek regulatory clarity, but could also serve as a tool for candidates to attract young voters, crypto holders, and swing voters. For the US political landscape, the core question in crypto regulation is shifting from "should we regulate?" to "who can use it to mobilize votes?"

Below is the original text:

Introduction

Digital assets and their federal regulatory framework are at a critical juncture.

The Digital Asset Market Clarity Act of 2025 (the CLARITY Act, H.R.3633), currently under congressional consideration, will clarify three things: which types of digital assets are regulated by the SEC or CFTC, registration rules for cryptocurrency trading platforms and custodians, and industry-wide consumer protection standards. This is one of the most important digital asset legislations Congress has ever considered.

Building on its long track record in public opinion polling, HarrisX conducted a national survey of 2,008 registered voters to measure four things: voters' awareness and ownership of digital assets, their attitudes towards US leadership in digital finance, support for the CLARITY Act, and whether candidates' stances on crypto regulation could influence the 2026 midterm elections.

Eight of the world's top ten cryptocurrency trading platforms are headquartered outside the US. As digital payment systems and stablecoin infrastructure accelerate globally, a failure by the US to provide clear federal rules could cede dominance over a strategically important financial technology to foreign jurisdictions – this would materially impact national security, the global standing of the US dollar, the retention of developers and businesses, and America's overall competitiveness in financial technology innovation.

Voters across party lines recognize this risk and want Congress to act swiftly.

This is a voter poll conducted by HarrisX regarding the CLARITY Act (US crypto market structure legislation). The five charts present five core findings:

Chart 1 | The bill enjoys bipartisan support. 52% of respondents support the CLARITY Act, with only 11% opposed; net support among Democrats, Republicans, and Independents is +43%, +48%, and +32% respectively, with Republican voters showing the highest support.

Chart 2 | Supporting the legislation yields clear electoral gains. The net electoral benefit is +20% - 37% of voters are more likely to vote for a senator who advances the CLARITY Act, while only 17% are less likely; 47% of voters are willing to cross party lines to vote for it, with the highest proportion among Republican voters (51%).

Chart 3 | "National security" is the most compelling narrative framework. 56% of respondents believe that a digital payment system built and controlled outside the US would weaken US national security, with only 22% believing it would strengthen it; this view is a majority consensus across all three major parties (DEM 56%, GOP 57%, IND 54%). 23% of voters cite national security as the primary reason to pass the bill.

Chart 4 | Voters want the US to take the lead and establish clear rules. 70% believe the US should have passed crypto legislation long ago; 62% say it is "extremely important" or "very important" for the US to set global rules for digital finance; 60% prefer an imperfect but clear federal law over the current "case-by-case enforcement" regulatory model.

Chart 5 | Most voters are unaware of the offshore status of the crypto industry. Only 33% of voters know that "eight of the world's top ten crypto trading platforms are headquartered outside the US." After being informed, 46% consider this a problem, while only 13% find it acceptable; this concern is most pronounced among Republican voters (50%).

American Leadership and the Need for Clear Federal Rules

Voter understanding of digital assets remains limited, but their views are clear and consistent: the US should set the rules for digital finance, and it should do so promptly.

Awareness of digital assets remains low, but crypto holders already constitute a sizable voting bloc

·39% of voters say they are familiar with digital assets and blockchain technology, while 61% are not.

·Two in five voters have purchased cryptocurrency, with 30% having done so in the past year.

·Familiarity and ownership rates are concentrated primarily among men and voters under 35.

This chart focuses on a core issue – the strong desire among US voters for the country to establish dominance in the crypto space. Using five questions, HarrisX depicts a fairly clear public opinion from five dimensions: "urgency, global standing, regulatory path, legislative pace, and risk tolerance":

70% | Legislation should have been in place long ago. Seven in ten voters believe the US should have passed clear cryptocurrency legislation by now. This is a judgment about "timeliness" – voters are no longer discussing "whether to legislate," but expressing anxiety about "why hasn't it been passed?"

62% | Global rules should be written by the US. On the issue of global rule-setting for digital finance, 62% of voters say it is extremely or very important that "the US, rather than other countries," takes the lead. This essentially elevates crypto regulation from a "financial issue" to a "national competition issue."

60% | Clear federal law, not case-by-case enforcement. Six in ten voters explicitly prefer an imperfect but clear federal law over continuing to operate in the grey area of "case-by-case enforcement by regulators." This is a direct rejection of the SEC-led "regulation by enforcement" approach of recent years.

57% | Pass first, iterate later. 57% of voters believe it's better to pass the current version of the bill now and refine it over time, rather than waiting for a perfect piece of legislation. This echoes the "don't let perfect be the enemy of good" logic often used by lawmakers, reducing potential political friction in the bill's advancement.

56% | Willing to accept risks to gain leadership. Even accepting the inherent risks of the crypto market, 56% of voters believe the US should "take over" the market through clear regulation. In other words, voters' concern about "letting the market flow overseas" now outweighs their concern about "the trouble regulation brings."

Voters Want the US to Maintain Leadership in Cryptocurrency

Although a majority of voters are not familiar with the technical details of digital assets, they express a strong, broad, and stable demand for American leadership and clear federal rules.

A 70% majority of voters believe the US should have passed clear cryptocurrency legislation long ago; 62% of voters believe it is very important for the US to create global rules for digital finance.

Voters also do not support continuing with a case-by-case enforcement approach: 60% of voters prefer a clear federal law, even if imperfect; 57% believe it is better to pass partial legislation now and refine it later, rather than waiting for a perfect law.

Even when trade-offs are explicitly acknowledged, voters still lean towards action. 56% of voters believe the US should assert dominance in the crypto market through clear regulation, even if it means accepting the associated risks.

Overall, these results indicate that voters are not asking Congress to continue debating "whether to act," but are demanding that Congress act promptly, clearly, and at the federal level.

Offshore Concentration: An Important but Underappreciated Problem

Voters support US regulation. The high concentration of crypto trading platforms overseas provides another concrete reason for voters to support federal crypto regulatory rules.

The survey shows voters generally underestimate how much digital asset market activity occurs outside US jurisdiction; but once informed, very few find it acceptable.

·Only one-third of voters know that eight of the world's top ten cryptocurrency trading platforms are headquartered outside the US.

·Upon learning this fact, 46% of voters believe that the majority of crypto trading occurring outside US regulation is at least somewhat of a problem; only 13% find it unproblematic or even beneficial.

National Security is a Key Factor Driving Voter Support for Federal Action

When framed in terms of national security, voters' concerns that foreign control over digital payment systems could weaken US security and the global status of the dollar intensify.

·56% of voters believe that if future digital payment systems are built and controlled by countries other than the US, it would weaken US national security. Only 22% believe it would strengthen it.

·More than two-fifths of voters believe that if foreign-issued stablecoins become dominant, they would weaken the global status of the dollar; only 17% believe it would strengthen it.

Voters Have Long Wanted Better Rules and Regulation for Digital Assets

The demand for federal action is not new to the current debate. Over the past three years, multiple HarrisX studies show that voters have consistently favored clearer rules, stronger safeguards, and a more proactive US approach to regulating digital assets.

Findings from our previous research include:

·Voters want clear crypto rules, not regulation by enforcement. In a 2024 study, voters preferred clear rules over enforcement-based regulation by a 48% to 23% margin; by 2025, this gap remained largely unchanged at 49% to 26%.

·Voters believe the US is falling behind, creating a leadership gap. In 2024 and 2025, only about one in five voters thought the US was leading in crypto regulation, while 36% believed the US was already falling behind.

·But voters want the US to lead the field. In 2025, 69% of registered voters and 84% of crypto investors believe it is very important for the US to lead the world in blockchain technology development; 82% of voters support Congress establishing stricter rules for crypto trading platforms and brokers.

Note 2: Sources include surveys by HarrisX/Blockchain Association conducted October 25-28, 2024 (n=1,717 registered US voters) and December 3-4, 2025 (n=1,861 registered US voters).

The CLARITY Act Enjoys Bipartisan Support

After receiving a neutral description, 52% of voters support the CLARITY Act, with 11% opposed. Support is bipartisan, and a large persuadable middle ground exists.

Awareness of the bill is currently low among voters

·64% of voters have not heard of the CLARITY Act; 14% say they have heard a lot, and 22% say they have heard a little.

·The description voters hear first about the bill will determine its ceiling of political support. The neutral description used in this survey yielded solid majority support.

After hearing the neutral description, support is strong, and opposition is limited

Survey Question CL12: The CLARITY Act would clarify which federal agency, the SEC or CFTC, regulates different types of digital assets; set registration rules for crypto trading platforms and custodians; and establish consumer protection standards for the industry. Based solely on this description, would you support or oppose this legislation?

The CLARITY Act receives strong support among key demographic groups

·Support is clearly bipartisan: net support among Republicans is +48, among Democrats +43, among likely midterm voters +52, and among Independents +32.

·Only 10% of Independents oppose the bill, leaving the vast majority of them in a persuadable middle ground: 47% neither support nor oppose it.

·Support is highest among those most familiar with the issue: net support among crypto holders is +57, among voters familiar with digital assets +55, and among those who have heard of the CLARITY Act +49. Education and exposure to information increase support.

Support for the CLARITY Act is grounded in broader national security concerns

When asked which reason best justifies passing the CLARITY Act, voters' responses included:

·National Security & Dollar Primacy (23%): "Keeping the dollar and US payment systems at the center of global finance is a national security priority."

·Law Enforcement & Illicit Finance (17%)

·Consumer Protection & Fraud Prevention (16%)

·Jobs & Businesses Leaving the US (11%)

Electoral Impact of Supporting the CLARITY Act

Voting to pass the CLARITY Act is a clear electoral positive across party lines. Nearly half of voters say such an issue could prompt them to vote across party lines.

Senators voting for the CLARITY Act would gain support among a broad cross-section of voters

37% of voters said they would be more likely to support a senator who voted to pass the CLARITY Act; 17% said less likely; 46% said it would make no difference. Overall, this represents a net gain of +20.

This effect is strongest among Republican voters, with 44% saying they would be more likely to support; it remains positive among Democrats at 37%; and among Independents at 31%.

Cross-party Appeal: 47% of Voters Would Consider Changing Their Party Vote on This Issue

·In a midterm environment where most issues reinforce existing partisan divides, the CLARITY Act is one of the few legislative issues that could create bipartisan crossover.

·47% of voters say that if a candidate supports the CLARITY Act while their preferred party does not, they would at least somewhat consider voting for a candidate outside their preferred party.

·This willingness to cross party lines is higher among crypto holders (72%), voters familiar with digital assets (67%), and those aware of the CLARITY Act (67%).

A Majority of Voters Say This Issue Will Affect Their 2026 Vote

·52% of voters say a candidate's position on cryptocurrency regulation will be "extremely important" or "somewhat important" to their vote in the 2026 midterms.

·Among cryptocurrency holders, this figure rises to 78%; among voters familiar with digital assets, it is 74%.

·Issue intensity is moderate, with 16% of voters saying it is "extremely important." While it is not yet the top-tier driver of voting decisions, it has broad political reach: many voters are willing to include crypto regulation in their 2026 voting calculus.

Crypto Voters: A Sizeable and Influential Voting Bloc

Beyond general voter support for the CLARITY Act, the survey results also indicate that pursuing the crypto voter has unique political value. Crypto voters are a sizable, influential group; previous HarrisX research shows they are highly engaged, issue-driven, and willing to cross party lines when a candidate aligns with their crypto policy preferences:

·High Engagement: 92% of crypto holders planned to vote in the 2024 US election.

·Issue-Driven: 49% of US voters think it is important for candidates