CLARITY Act Failure Could Give China Influence Over Global Digital-Asset Standards, Strategist Warns

According to James E. Thorne, Chief Market Strategist at Wellington-Altus Private Wealth, China could gain significant influence over global digital-asset standards if Congress fails to pass the CLARITY Act, he stated on June 27. Thorne argued that the legislation extends beyond cryptocurrency regulation and touches on control over the architecture of global finance and the role of the U.S. dollar.

Thorne emphasized that if the United States does not set standards in the digital-asset world, China will step in to define alternative financial rails and rules. He framed the CLARITY Act not as an endorsement of every crypto asset, but as a critical decision about whether U.S. capital markets will shape the next generation of financial infrastructure.