Brad Garlinghouse, CEO of Ripple, used a Las Vegas XRP community event to pinpoint the coming two weeks as the make-or-break window for the Clarity Act, a bill currently under Senate deliberation that would establish a federal regulatory framework for digital assets. While acknowledging the legislation contains compromises, Garlinghouse argued that “clearer rules are always better than chaos” and urged the industry to prioritize progress over perfection.
No "Single-Chain Future," Says Garlinghouse
The CEO pushed back against the perception that Ripple only cares about XRP. “I have never been an XRP maximalist. There will not be a single-chain world; a future with many chains awaits us. I want Bitcoin to succeed,” he said. The statement aimed to reassure skeptics and reinforce his long-standing view that collaboration, not rivalry, will drive the crypto sector forward.
Clarity Act: Two Weeks That Could Define US Crypto Policy
Garlinghouse stressed that the Senate’s floor schedule for the Clarity Act over the next 14 days will determine whether the bill advances. Although imperfect, he called it a vast improvement over the current regulatory vacuum. “Show me a flawless bill—there is no such thing. Concessions and compromise are inevitable, but having clearer rules is always better than staying in chaos,” he added. Failure to pass would leave firms exposed to continued enforcement-driven regulation.
SEC Standoff: From ‘Regulation by Enforcement’ to Holding Firm
Garlinghouse revisited Ripple’s long-running legal battle with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). He described former Chair Gary Gensler’s approach as “anti-crypto,” which forced many companies to retreat from the US market. Ripple, however, held its ground. A digital board at the event read “We Did Not Surrender.” “The SEC made a mistake by targeting us; our strength allowed us to stand firm,” Garlinghouse said. With Gensler gone, the CEO sees the Clarity Act as the real mechanism to end the era of enforcement-based regulation. The XRP community now watches the Senate closely, as a favorable outcome would directly impact the security status of XRP and other digital tokens.