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The DeFi exemptions in the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act of 2025 (the CLARITY Act, H.R. 3633, passed by the House in July 2025) are a key feature designed to protect truly decentralized activities from heavy registration and oversight requirements. The goal is to avoid treating open-source developers, node operators, or basic protocol maintainers as if they were centralized exchanges or brokers—something that has been a major pain point in the crypto space under existing SEC and CFTC enforcement approaches.
These exemptions appear in two parallel sections:
Section 309 — Exclusion for decentralized finance activities (applies to SEC jurisdiction).
Section 409 — Exclusion for decentralized finance activities (applies to CFTC jurisdiction, especially for digital commodities).
What Activities Are Exempted?
The bill explicitly states that a person is not subject to the Act's registration, licensing, or other core regulatory requirements (nor treated as a broker, dealer, exchange, or intermediary) solely because they engage in certain activities related to the operation, maintenance, or development of blockchain networks or DeFi protocols. The exempted activities include:
Compiling, validating, searching, sequencing, or otherwise processing network transactions (e.g., running a validator node, mining/staking to secure the chain, or relaying blocks).
Providing computational work, bandwidth, or other incidental services to support the blockchain (like operating nodes, providing oracle data, or contributing storage/processing power).
Providing user interfaces that allow users to access or interact with a blockchain system (e.g., front-end wallets, explorers, or dApp interfaces that don't custody funds or execute trades on behalf of users).
Publishing, updating, maintaining, or developing software for blockchain networks (including open-source code releases, protocol upgrades, or smart contract libraries).
Developing wallets or software that enables users to self-custody their own digital assets.
Operating or participating in liquidity pools for spot trades on decentralized protocols (in some interpretations of the bill language, as long as no centralized control is exercised).
Developing or maintaining decentralized finance trading protocols or messaging systems (e.g., building AMMs, lending protocols, or DEX smart contracts without taking custody or discretionary control).
In short: If you're just building code, running infrastructure, or providing tools that let users interact directly with the blockchain (peer-to-peer, no middleman), you're generally carved out from being forced to register as a regulated entity under this framework.
Important Limitations and What Isn't Exempted
These exemptions are narrow and do not create a free-for-all:
They apply only to the specific activities listed — not to the broader operations of a protocol.
They do not shield anyone from anti-fraud, anti-manipulation, or false-reporting rules. Both the SEC and CFTC retain full enforcement authority here. If a DeFi project involves scams, pump-and-dumps, wash trading, or misleading claims, regulators can still go after it aggressively.
If someone crosses into intermediary-like behavior, the exemption doesn't apply. Examples include:
Taking custody of user funds.
Acting as a counterparty to trades.
Exercising control over user orders or protocol parameters for profit.
Running a centralized front-end that effectively intermediates transactions.
In those cases, the person or entity would likely need to register as a digital commodity exchange, broker, dealer, etc. (under CFTC for spot markets) or face SEC rules if securities-like elements are involved.
The exemptions are tied to truly decentralized setups — things like "decentralized governance systems" (where no single person or group has unilateral control) get favorable treatment elsewhere in the bill, but weak or gamed "decentralization" could still trigger scrutiny.
Why These Exemptions Matter
Pro-innovation view: They protect open-source developers and node runners from being regulated out of existence. Without this, many argue DeFi couldn't thrive in the U.S., as building code could accidentally make you a "broker."
Critic view (from consumer groups and some regulators): The carve-outs are too broad, potentially leaving gaps in oversight for risky DeFi practices (e.g., flash loan exploits, impermanent loss scams, or illicit finance facilitation). Some say it gives DeFi a "get-out-of-jail-free card" compared to traditional finance.
Current Context (as of January 20, 2026)
The House-passed version includes these exemptions as described. In the Senate (where the bill is stalled/delays in Banking/Agriculture Committees), some drafts have tweaked or bracketed DeFi language—e.g., seeking more feedback, adding AML/BSA compliance paths for protocols, or clarifying front-end responsibilities—but the core exclusions from registration for pure infrastructure/dev activities remain a central part of the ongoing negotiations.
Overall, these DeFi exemptions represent one of the bill's biggest "wins" for the decentralized side of crypto, aiming to draw a bright line between neutral code/infrastructure and actual intermediation. If the final law looks similar, it could significantly boost U.S.-based DeFi development while still keeping fraud/manipulation enforcement tools intact.

Zákon o jasnosti, oficiálně nazvaný Zákon o jasnosti trhu s digitálními aktivy z roku 2025 (H.R. 3633 v 119. Kongresu), je významným bipartisanským legislativním úsilím USA o vytvoření prvního komplexního federálního regulačního rámce specificky pro digitální aktiva (především kryptoměny a tokeny, s výjimkou stablecoinů, které byly řešeny v samostatném zákoně GENIUS z roku 2025).
Zaveden 29. května 2025 předsedou Výboru pro finanční služby Sněmovny reprezentantů Francem Hillem (R-AR) a spolupodporován směsicí republikánů a demokratů, zákon prošel Sněmovnou reprezentantů USA 17. července 2025 s silnou bipartisanskou podporou (hlasování 294-134). Poté byl zaslán do Senátu, kde byl zvažován, ale čelil zpožděním a revizím.