Last updated on March 6th, 2026 at 10:14 pm
Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse says there is a 90% chance the US Digital Asset Market Clarity Act will pass by the end of April, a move that could finally end years of regulatory ambiguity for the crypto industry.
Garlinghouse pointed to renewed momentum in Washington after months of delays in the Senate, suggesting that lawmakers are now closer to resolving key sticking points.
Great to be back on with @MariaBartiromo discussing Ripple’s banner year and accelerating momentum as we start 2026.
Already, we are actively seeing Boards and CEOs pushing their CFOs and treasurers to understand how they can leverage and benefit from stablecoins. For…— Brad Garlinghouse (@bgarlinghouse) February 19, 2026
Lawmakers are working toward a March 1 negotiation deadline set by the White House. If the bill advances, it would establish clearer jurisdictional boundaries between regulators and provide the legal certainty institutions have long sought before entering crypto spot markets at scale.
Why the CLARITY Act is gaining traction
The Digital Asset Market Clarity Act (H.R. 3633) passed the House in July 2025 with a bipartisan vote of 294–134. However, the bill stalled in the Senate due to disputes over regulatory jurisdiction.
Momentum appears to have shifted in recent weeks. Garlinghouse said renewed discussions between crypto executives and banking leaders helped move negotiations forward.
On the regulatory front, coordination is also increasing. After the Senate Agriculture Committee advanced a related draft on January 29, Paul Atkins, chairman of the US Securities and Exchange Commission, said the SEC and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission are working together through an initiative dubbed “Project Crypto.”
Stablecoins remain the key sticking point
Despite Garlinghouse’s optimism, prediction markets currently place the odds of passage by year-end at around 78%, making an April timeline ambitious.
The primary unresolved issue centres on stablecoins, specifically whether platforms should be permitted to offer yield-style incentives to users. That debate has already slowed Senate Banking Committee discussions earlier this year.
Meanwhile, Ripple has been expanding aggressively. Since 2023, the company has deployed roughly $3 billion into acquisitions aimed at strengthening custody and treasury infrastructure.
Garlinghouse noted growing interest from corporate treasurers in stablecoins and cross-border payments, but emphasized that institutions are waiting for federal regulatory clarity before allocating significant capital.
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