Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse put a hard deadline on the Crypto Market Structure Clarity Act this week, saying the bill needs a Senate hearing before the end of May to have a reasonable shot at moving forward. The statement lands as lawmakers return from recess and the legislative calendar tightens.
A tight legislative window
Garlinghouse's warning isn't abstract. Congress typically slows down ahead of the summer recess and campaign season. If the bill doesn't get a hearing in the next three weeks, its path to passage this year gets a lot harder. The Senate Banking Committee hasn't publicly scheduled a markup or hearing for the legislation yet, and the clock is ticking.
Garlinghouse's push
The Ripple chief has been one of the loudest voices calling for clear federal rules around digital assets. His company spent years in litigation with the SEC over whether XRP was a security — a case that finally settled in late 2025. For Garlinghouse, the Crypto Market Structure Clarity Act represents the kind of framework that could prevent similar fights for other projects. He's argued in the past that piecemeal enforcement isn't sustainable and that Congress needs to act.
What's at stake
If the bill stalls, the crypto industry stays in the current regulatory limbo — no clear definition of which tokens are commodities, which are securities, or who oversees what. Exchanges and developers have been pushing for legislation that draws those lines. The Crypto Market Structure Clarity Act, introduced last year, aims to do exactly that. But without a Senate hearing this month, advocates worry momentum will fizzle out entirely.
The next few weeks will tell the story. Garlinghouse made his position clear: if the Senate doesn't move now, the window closes.
