Bitcoin plunged sharply in the first half of the day but held above $79,000, while the fear-and-greed index remains at 75, squarely in greed territory.

It is possible that the market's volatile reaction was driven by remarks from Wyoming senator Cynthia Lummis, who published a warning that escalated debate over the fate of the Clarity Act. "If the Clarity Act is not passed in this Congress, the next real opportunity to return to market structure legislation will only be in 2030. That is years of jobs, investment, and tax receipts we could lose if we do not finish the work now," she wrote on X.

Her wording was deliberate. Lummis chairs the Senate subcommittee on digital assets and ties delay to the loss of jobs and capital that, in her view, would flow to other jurisdictions if the United States fails to establish legal clarity first. Stakes for the upcoming vote rose because the cloture motion is scheduled for September 15 and requires 60 votes to overcome the procedural hurdle; Republicans hold only 53 Senate seats, so Democrats must provide the seven missing votes.

A key nuance often lost in headlines is that the September 15 vote is a cloture vote to end debate, not the final passage of the bill; it merely determines whether the Senate can proceed to consider the measure. Even if cloture succeeds, the chamber will have only eight working days in September before the midterms to move the bill to a final vote.

The principal sticking point remains the ethics provisions demanded by Democrats.

In my view, Lummis's stark "2030" formulation is more a political lever aimed at persuading colleagues ahead of the vote than a strict legal forecast, because the timing of the next window of opportunity will depend on the post-midterm balance of power rather than a fixed calendar rule. Nevertheless, I would not rule out that even if cloture succeeds on September 15, the bill may not reach final passage in this Congress; a multi-year pause in market structure regulation therefore remains a realistic risk in the coming weeks.

Trading recommendations:

A technical outlook for BTC suggests that buyers are targeting a return to $81,300, which would open a direct path to $83,600 and then to $85,600—a break above that level would signal attempts to restore a bull market. In case of a decline, expect buyers at $79,200; a move below that area could quickly drag BTC toward $77,200. A farther target on weakness is $75,300.

A technical outlook for Ethereum shows a confirmed hold above $2,503 opens a path to $2,557, with a farther target near $2,624; a break above that level would signal strengthening bullish sentiment and renewed buyer interest. On the downside, expect buyers at $2,443; a drop below that area could push ETH toward $2,385. The farthest target on weakness is $2,320.

What we see on the chart:

- Red lines indicate support and resistance levels where either a price slowdown or active growth is expected;

- Green lines indicate the 50-day moving average;

- Blue lines indicate the 100-day moving average;

- Light green lines indicate the 200-day moving average.

A crossover, or a price test of moving averages, typically either halts the move or sparks fresh market momentum.