Ripple Chief Legal Officer Stuart Alderoty called for tighter coordination across the crypto industry after the CLARITY Act failed to advance in the U.S. Senate. Alderoty, who also serves as president of the Ripple-funded National Cryptocurrency Association, said the Sept. 15 setback exposed divisions in industry messaging and political support.
Two days later, he framed the result as a political setback rather than a rejection of crypto adoption or federal regulation.
In a Sept. 17 post on X, Alderoty wrote that “politics beat policy this week” and urged the industry to learn from the result. He also pointed to widespread cryptocurrency ownership across the United States and said the sector would remain part of the financial landscape.
Alderoty then turned his criticism toward crypto companies and advocacy groups. He said the industry has “too many voices pushing too many messages.” He added that the sector should “speak with one voice through one megaphone” as it deals with lawmakers and regulators.
His remarks shifted attention from the bill’s provisions toward the industry’s approach to Washington. Can the crypto sector align its message before lawmakers return to the CLARITY Act? The question now sits alongside ongoing disputes over federal securities and commodities rules for digital asset markets.
The Senate voted 49-50 on Sept. 15 against invoking cloture on the motion to proceed to H.R. 3633. The motion needed three-fifths support to advance. As a result, the crypto market structure bill stalled after months of negotiations over a federal framework.
Ripple called the outcome a missed opportunity after the vote. The company has supported uniform federal standards that would give consumers protections and provide digital asset businesses with clearer operating rules. Ripple also said comprehensive legislation remains necessary even though the Senate failed to move the bill forward.
Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse supported the legislation before the vote. Lawmakers had considered a substantially revised version that incorporated more than 100 changes during negotiations. Even so, the procedural vote fell short of the threshold required to continue debate on the measure.
The vote did not end congressional activity around the proposal. Seven Democratic senators later said they remained committed to bipartisan negotiations and still wanted Congress to pass crypto legislation. Their Sept. 16 statement described the vote as a setback rather than the end of the effort.
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Alderoty also cited the National Cryptocurrency Association’s 2026 State of Crypto Holders survey. The NCA and The Harris Poll conducted the study, which estimated that more than 67 million U.S. adults own cryptocurrency. The survey covered 10,000 U.S. crypto holders.
The same survey found that 40% of holders shop and pay with crypto, while 41% send digital assets to friends and family. Those figures add consumer-use context to the broader policy debate surrounding market structure and federal oversight.
Meanwhile, XRP has fallen roughly 25% from its August high. Community analyst Dark Defender has pointed to lower XRP balances on exchanges, RLUSD activity on the XRP Ledger, and plans for quantum-resistant cryptography. He also said the decline fits his Elliott Wave analysis and could precede a larger rally.
Those claims do not establish that XRP will recover soon. Ripple has maintained that XRP’s existing legal and regulatory treatment remains separate from Congress’s failure to enact a comprehensive crypto framework. Alderoty’s latest remarks instead focus on how the industry presents its policy priorities while lawmakers continue discussing the CLARITY Act.
Ripple’s Stuart Alderoty wants the crypto industry to coordinate its policy message after the CLARITY Act stalled in the Senate. The 49-50 vote stopped the measure from advancing, although seven Democratic senators committed to further bipartisan talks. Ripple continues to support uniform federal rules for digital assets.