TheBlock
Ripple Chief Legal Officer Stuart Alderoty framed September 15 as a "bellwether" for the Clarity Act's path through Congress, telling The Block at the Wyoming Blockchain Symposium 2026 that the date will see the bill's first procedural motion on the Senate floor. The motion to proceed requires 60 votes, a high bar that will test whether the crypto market-structure bill can advance past a narrow legislative window. Alderoty's comments came the same day the SEC proposed "Regulation Crypto Assets," a parallel rulemaking track that includes startup and fundraising exemptions for digital-asset offerings.
Why it matters
The Clarity Act would write the jurisdictional split between the SEC and CFTC into statute, ending years of turf ambiguity that has shaped enforcement actions, exchange listings, and token launches. Alderoty argued legislation is "very hard to undo," making it more durable than agency rulemaking that a future administration could unwind. Even if the bill stalls, he noted both agencies have said publicly they will not pause crypto rulemaking, pointing to the March inter-agency guidance and SEC Chair Paul Atkins's "onshore innovation" framing as evidence the regulatory floor is already rising under executive-branch authority alone.
Market impact
The SEC's parallel proposal carries a startup exemption for offerings up to $5 million over four years and a fundraising exemption up to $75 million over one year, plus a safe harbor under which a digital asset could cease to be considered a security if certain conditions are met. Alderoty cited NCA research estimating 232,000 crypto-adjacent US jobs and $55 billion in annual economic activity, arguing that failure to legislate could push that activity offshore. The next concrete milestone is the September 15 procedural vote; a successful motion to proceed would open floor debate, while a failed one would likely hand the rulemaking pen entirely to the SEC and CFTC.
Frequently asked questions
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What happens on September 15 for the Clarity Act?
The Senate will hold its first procedural motion on the Clarity Act, a "motion to proceed" requiring 60 votes to advance the crypto market-structure bill to floor debate.
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What is the SEC's "Regulation Crypto Assets" proposal?
It is a new SEC framework proposed the same day Alderoty spoke, offering a startup exemption for offerings up to $5M over four years, a fundraising exemption up to $75M over one year, and a safe harbor for digital assets to shed security status.
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Why does the Clarity Act matter if agencies are already rulemaking?
Alderoty argued legislation is "very hard to undo," making it more durable than agency rulemaking that a future administration could unwind. Statute is harder to reverse than SEC or CFTC rules.
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What did Ripple's CLO say about US crypto jobs?
Alderoty cited NCA research estimating 232,000 crypto-adjacent US jobs and $55 billion in annual economic activity, warning that failure to legislate could push that activity offshore.
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Who is Stuart Alderoty?
Stuart Alderoty is Ripple's Chief Legal Officer and president of the National Crypto Association. He spoke at the Wyoming Blockchain Symposium 2026 about the Clarity Act's prospects.
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