Anthony Scaramucci blames Trump memecoins for CLARITY Act failure

SkyBridge Capital founder Anthony Scaramucci has identified President Donald Trump’s personal crypto ventures and the TRUMP memecoin as the “singular reason” for the failure of the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act (CLARITY Act) in the Senate.

Speaking at the SALT London conference, Scaramucci stated that the launch of the memecoin prior to Trump’s January 2025 inauguration caused Democrats to withdraw their support for bipartisan crypto market structure legislation. While the bill failed a procedural vote on September 15, 2026, with 49 votes in favor and 50 against, Scaramucci noted that both parties share responsibility due to a deadlock over ethics provisions regarding government officials holding digital assets.

Consumer advocacy group Public Citizen reports that investors face approximately $4.7 billion in unrealized losses tied to Trump-linked digital assets, with $3.2 billion specifically linked to the TRUMP memecoin. In contrast, Trump reportedly earned $635 million in licensing fees from these ventures in 2025. While the White House has attributed the bill's failure to banking industry lobbying rather than conflicts of interest, Scaramucci suggests the political fallout from the memecoin has stalled legislative momentum.