A federal judge ruled clearly and on the record that $XRP in and of itself is not a security. That ruling did not come from a friendly regulator or a favorable administration. It came from an independent federal judge, appointed by a Democrat, who looked at the facts and reached her conclusion.
“Boom. We have clarity,” Garlinghouse said. “Like that’s what we care about.”
That single court ruling changed everything for Ripple. While other crypto projects are still operating in legal grey zones, hoping the CLARITY Act or SEC guidance will eventually give them the cover they need, $XRP already has a federal court opinion on its side. That is a fundamentally different position to be in.
The Hoskinson Dismissal That Spoke Volumes
This is where the conversation got pointed. Not every voice in crypto has been supportive of the CLARITY Act, and one of the loudest skeptics has been Charles Hoskinson, the founder of Cardano and one of the most outspoken figures in the industry.
Hoskinson has been vocal about his concerns with how Washington shapes crypto legislation, often framing it as watching sausage get made, messy, uncomfortable, and not always reflective of what the industry actually needs. His commentary around the CLARITY Act has been pointed enough that it has drawn attention and sparked debate across crypto circles.
Garlinghouse’s response was not a counter-argument. It was something more dismissive and in its own way more powerful.
“I’ve chosen to ignore Charles Hoskinson on all this stuff,” he said. “I already have clarity. I’m supporting this because I think it’s good for the industry.”