Ripple Chief Legal Officer Stuart Alderoty has urged senators who oppose or remain undecided on the CLARITY Act to hear directly from American cryptocurrency holders before a key procedural vote on 15 September.
Alderoty said he had contacted the offices of senators who had not committed to supporting the legislation, asking them to meet “real people with digital assets” and understand how federal regulation could affect them.
He argued that lawmakers should listen to individual holders rather than focus their discussions only on lobbyists, industry executives and trade organisations.
The appeal is based on research by the National Cryptocurrency Association, which estimates that about 67 million people in the United States own cryptocurrency. Its 2026 survey found that approximately one in four American adults holds some form of digital asset.
Alderoty said that figure gave individual users a direct interest in legislation that could alter the way tokens, trading platforms and other cryptocurrency services operate in the US. His intervention brings a retail-investor focus to a lobbying effort that has mainly involved companies, banks and Washington policy groups.
Supporters of the crypto industry have increased pressure on lawmakers during the Senate’s recess. Reuters reported on 9 September that Stand With Crypto supporters made nearly 50,000 calls or sent emails to members of Congress during August. The group also organised meetings and published opinion pieces in local newspapers while senators worked from their home states.
Banking groups have also opposed parts of the bill. The Independent Community Bankers of America has asked local bankers to contact senators about provisions they believe could allow digital tokens to compete with bank deposits and reduce the money available for lending, according to Reuters.
Vote would open debate but not pass the bill
The Senate is expected to vote at about 2:15 p.m. ET on 15 September on cloture for the motion to proceed. The vote would allow formal debate on the CLARITY Act to begin, but would not determine whether the legislation becomes law.
Cloture requires 60 votes. Republicans hold 53 Senate seats, so the measure would need backing from at least seven Democrats or independents if all Republicans supported the motion.
That level of Republican unity is not guaranteed. Concerns have been raised within the party about presidential ethics provisions, rewards linked to stablecoins and the treatment of decentralised finance. Any Republican defections would increase the number of votes required from Democrats and independents.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune filed cloture on the motion to proceed before the August recess, according to a recent bill breakdown. The timing leaves senators with only a limited period for negotiations after returning to Washington one day before the vote.
If cloture succeeds, senators could debate the legislation, propose amendments and later hold a separate vote on whether to pass it. If it fails to reach 60 votes, the Senate would not be able to take up the bill under the scheduled procedure.
The legislation would establish a federal regulatory framework for digital assets and divide oversight between the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. It would also set out when a digital asset should be treated as a security and when it should fall under commodities regulation.
The House passed the measure by 294 votes to 134 in July 2025. It later cleared the Senate Banking Committee by 15 votes to nine in May 2026, with only two Democrats supporting it at committee stage.
Ethics and stablecoin disputes threaten support
Presidential ethics rules remain a major obstacle in the Senate negotiations. Democrats want stricter limits on digital-asset activity involving the president, senior government officials and their families.
Their concerns include cryptocurrency businesses linked to President Donald Trump and his relatives, including World Liberty Financial and the Official Trump meme coin. Democratic senators say the current wording does not offer sufficient safeguards against conflicts of interest, illicit finance or attempts to influence federal policy.
Republicans have differed over whether enough compromise has already been reached. Sen. Cynthia Lummis, a prominent supporter of the legislation, has blamed Democratic demands for placing the bill at risk, while saying the remaining disagreements can still be settled.
Sen. Mike Rounds offered a more pessimistic view, saying the bill’s prospects “don’t look good right now.” Sen. Thom Tillis has also warned that the measure would fail if Congress and the White House were unwilling to resolve the dispute over ethics provisions.
Stablecoin rewards are another point of contention. Community banks say rewards paid on stablecoin balances could pull deposits away from insured institutions. Cryptocurrency companies, meanwhile, oppose restrictions that would stop third parties from offering those payments.
Senators have also debated protections for developers of decentralised finance software. Some want stronger legal safeguards for developers who do not control customer assets, while others favour provisions aimed at tackling money laundering and other illicit financial activity.
For US-based token holders, the proposed division of responsibilities between the SEC and CFTC could influence which assets trading platforms list and which federal rules apply to transactions. The bill would also introduce requirements for intermediaries operating in the American digital-asset market.
Supporters say the framework would reduce uncertainty created by agencies applying existing securities and commodities laws to crypto products. Critics, including several Senate Democrats, argue that any new system must include stronger consumer, financial-crime and ethics protections.
Ripple executives have repeatedly backed congressional action on crypto market structure. Earlier in September, chief executive Brad Garlinghouse urged lawmakers to complete the country’s regulatory framework, saying that making the US a global centre for cryptocurrency remained “within reach.”
Even if the Senate approves the motion to proceed and later passes the bill, the process would continue. Any Senate version that differs from the House-approved text would have to be reconciled between the two chambers before being sent to the president.
The House is scheduled to have only four legislative days in session after 15 September before its next recess, leaving lawmakers limited time to consider and approve any changes made by the Senate.
