Digital Asset co-founder and CEO Yuval Rooz said the crypto industry should use the current regulatory environment to accelerate institutional adoption, arguing that broad blockchain use could make it harder for future US administrations to reverse the sector’s gains.
Speaking at Token2049 in Singapore, Rooz said the industry should make blockchain so widely used that whatever happens in 2028, “there is no going back.” The next US presidential election, which could bring a change in administration and regulatory priorities, is scheduled for Nov. 7, 2028.
Rooz compared the moment to Uber and Airbnb
Rooz likened the opportunity in blockchain adoption to Uber and Airbnb, arguing that both services became entrenched before policymakers could effectively restrict them.
“By the time people got their act together and decided, OK, we wanna legislate against those companies, it was too late,” Rooz said.
Comments came after the CLARITY Act stalled in September
His remarks followed the CLARITY Act’s failure to advance in a Senate procedural vote in September. At the same time, the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission have continued pushing crypto regulations under their existing authority.
Other Token2049 speakers focused on legal certainty
On the same Token2049 panel, Binance co-CEO Richard Teng said he hoped the CLARITY Act would still become law. He said legislation could help prevent regulatory backtracking and encourage institutions to enter the market.
Teng described the possibility of reversing current progress as “the biggest fear” for the industry.
Franklin Templeton CEO Jenny Johnson said legislation would provide greater certainty, but she cautioned that the industry should not rely on the CLARITY Act passing. She said the SEC and CFTC were already working to provide regulatory clarity, allowing innovation and institutional adoption to continue.