Ripple CEO Says Crypto Growth Can Persist Without CLARITY Act Passage

Ripple chief executive Brad Garlinghouse emphasized that the long‑term development of cryptocurrency does not depend on the CLARITY Act, even as the company continues to back federal market‑structure legislation for digital assets.

Senate procedural vote defeats cloture

On September 15, the Senate rejected cloture on H.R. 3633 with a 49‑50 vote, falling short of the 60 votes required to advance the CLARITY Act. The motion failed at 2:19 p.m. Eastern time, leaving the bill stalled.

Garlinghouse’s Kansas City remarks

Speaking at the Economic Club of Kansas City, Garlinghouse argued that “when you have a technology that’s better, faster, stronger… that usually wins,” suggesting that crypto adoption is a technology issue rather than a single legislative outcome. He also warned that the United States could lose competitive advantage if it lags behind other G20 jurisdictions that already have crypto regulatory frameworks.

Ripple’s stance on XRP’s regulatory status

Following the Senate vote, Ripple issued a statement confirming that the outcome does not change its view of XRP’s regulatory position. The company cited the March 17 joint SEC‑CFTC interpretation that classifies XRP as a digital commodity, alongside Bitcoin, Ether and Solana.

Market reaction

Crypto markets weakened as the procedural vote approached failure. Reuters reported Bitcoin fell more than 5 % and shares of Coinbase and Circle dropped up to 10 % on the day of the vote. Leveraged long positions were liquidated, with roughly $571 million in longs closed over 24 hours, according to CoinGlass data.

Next steps for regulation

With the CLARITY Act stalled, the SEC and CFTC retain their existing statutory authority. Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott called for the agencies to issue “clear rules of the road” while Congress works on legislation. Ripple said it will continue to engage with both agencies and advocate for statutory market‑structure rules.