Ripple CEO Says CLARITY Act Could Soon Reach a Final Deal

Highlights:

• Ripple’s Garlinghouse said the CLARITY Act is moving closer as pressure builds on lawmakers.
• He called the SEC and CFTC joint statement a major shift for crypto regulation.
• Senate talks continue as disputes over stablecoin yield still slow the bill’s progress.

Ripple Chief Executive Officer Brad Garlinghouse said he believes the long-running fight over the CLARITY Act may be getting close to a deal, even though the bill has not crossed the finish line yet. Speaking at Semafor’s World Economy event, Garlinghouse said negotiations often move forward when all sides feel pressure to settle. “When people are at their peak frustration, that’s when they finally compromise, and it gets done,” he said. “I think we’re there.”

"When people are at their peak frustration, that's when they finally compromise, and it gets done," @Ripple CEO @bgarlinghouse tells @JaxAlemany on his optimism for passage of the CLARITY Act. "I think we're there." pic.twitter.com/MdoXAWsTLk

— Semafor (@semafor) April 13, 2026

Garlinghouse Says Joint SEC-CFTC Move Changed Crypto Regulation

Garlinghouse praised a major development from 17 March, when the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) issued a joint statement. The agencies agreed to classify Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, and 13 other major crypto assets as digital commodities. He called this move “truly groundbreaking” because it helped end what he described as an era of legal battles against the crypto industry.

Ripple CEO noted:

“What happened two weeks ago with the SEC and CFTC coming together with a joint statement was truly groundbreaking in a bunch of ways. And from my point of view, it ended an era of lawfare against this industry, which turns out didn’t have the support of what the law actually said.”

However, Garlinghouse stressed that regulatory statements alone are not enough. Agencies can change their views when leadership shifts. A law passed by Congress offers lasting protection. 

Without the CLARITY Act turning this new framework into statute, a future SEC chair could reverse current progress. That outcome, he warned, would hurt innovation, confuse markets, and push crypto businesses overseas. “I also think we have to recognize that without codified legislative permanence, you still have the risk that the next version of the SEC comes back to Gensler’s unlawful war on crypto,” he added.

Ripple CEO Says Crypto Politics Are Turning in the Industry’s Favor

Garlinghouse also said the political mood around crypto is changing. He believes being against crypto is no longer a winning strategy for lawmakers. He pointed to voter education efforts during the last election cycle, which showed that more people now support clear rules for digital assets.

Ripple CEO said he is less confident now than he was in February, when he said the bill had a 90% chance of passing by April. Talks have taken longer than expected because the policy details are complex and negotiations have been slow. Even so, he believes progress is still being made.

🎙️RIPPLE CEO BRAD GARLINGHOUSE: THERES A “90% CHANCE” CRYPTO MARKET STRUCTURE BILL PASSES BY APRIL. pic.twitter.com/mLahUKFEva

— Coin Bureau (@coinbureau) February 20, 2026

The CLARITY Act would set clearer rules on which digital assets are treated as securities and which are considered commodities. That distinction matters because it affects how exchanges list tokens, how crypto projects raise money, and how investors protect their holdings. 

The bill was introduced in the House in May last year, passed there in July, and then moved to the Senate. The Senate is now the main hurdle, but progress has slowed as lawmakers remain divided on key issues, especially stablecoin yield.