Bitcoin 78K–82K, Clarity Act 15-9

Bitcoin traded in a band of roughly $78,000 to $82,000 over the past several sessions as U.S. lawmakers advanced a major crypto market-structure bill and traders circulated screenshots of liquidations and price swings online. Yahoo Finance data showed Bitcoin hit an intraday high of $82,005.96 on May 14, then changed hands at $78,303.09 as of 7:17:53 a.m. UTC on May 16. The Senate Banking Committee said on May 14 that it had advanced H.R. 3633, the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act of 2025, by a 15-9 vote. Social-media posts tied the legislative move to crypto price action, though those posts did not establish a direct causal link. ### How wide was Bitcoin’s trading range? Yahoo Finance data showed Bitcoin opened at $79,276.95 on May 14, rose to $82,005.96, and closed that day at $81,051.25. On May 15, the token traded between $78,635.37 and $81,634.84 before closing at $79,065.68. Early on May 16, it traded as low as $78,208.77. Those figures broadly match the $78,000-$82,000 range described in social posts over the last 24 hours. (finance.yahoo.com) The data also show that the range was not confined to a single spike: Bitcoin printed highs above $81,000 on both May 14 and May 15 before falling back below $79,100. ### What exactly passed in Washington? The Senate Banking Committee said Chairman Tim Scott led a markup on May 14 that advanced H.R. 3633, the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act of 2025, by a 15-9 vote. (finance.yahoo.com) The committee said the measure would now move to the Senate floor. Congressional and committee materials describe H.R. 3633 as legislation to create a regulatory framework for digital assets, with roles for the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. A Congressional Research Service brief said the bill would give the CFTC a central role in regulating digital commodities while preserving parts of SEC authority over certain primary-market crypto transactions. (banking.senate.gov) ### Who backed the Clarity Act vote? Chairman Tim Scott said after the vote that the committee had “worked through real differences” and advanced the bill with bipartisan support. The Senate Banking Committee’s release described the action as the product of negotiations between Republicans and Democrats. (congress.gov) The committee’s hearing page listed the May 14 executive session to consider H.R. 3633, and the committee homepage posted a follow-up release on May 15 highlighting industry reaction to the bill’s passage out of committee. Those postings gave traders and crypto companies a public marker that the legislation had cleared its first Senate committee hurdle. (banking.senate.gov) ### Did the Lugano Satoshi statue post check out? Tether said on October 25, 2024 that the Plan ₿ initiative, created with the City of Lugano, unveiled a life-sized statue of Satoshi Nakamoto at the Plan ₿ Forum in Lugano, Switzerland. The company said the statue stands in front of Villa Ciani and was created by artist Valentina Picozzi. (banking.senate.gov) That means social posts showing a Satoshi statue in Lugano refer to a real installation, though the statue’s existence is separate from the U.S. legislative vote and the latest Bitcoin price moves. Tether said the project was part of Lugano’s broader push to promote Bitcoin and blockchain technology through the Plan ₿ initiative. (tether.io) ### What should traders watch next? The Senate Banking Committee said on May 14 that the Clarity Act now moves to the Senate floor, making the next formal milestone a full Senate consideration of H.R. 3633. The committee’s website is the primary public source for scheduling updates tied to that process. (tether.io) Bitcoin’s next reference points are the recent highs and lows already printed this week: $82,005.96 on May 14, $81,634.84 on May 15, and $78,208.77 early on May 16, according to Yahoo Finance. Any break outside that band would move the market beyond the range highlighted in the latest social posts. (finance.yahoo.com) (banking.senate.gov)