 
 
A deepening rift is emerging within the crypto industry as Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson publicly rebukes Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse for backing the draft CLARITY Act.
Hoskinson argues that Garlinghouse’s support legitimizes flawed legislation, warning it could entrench regulatory shortcomings rather than deliver meaningful reform.
The criticism stems from Garlinghouse’s remarks at the recent CfC St. Moritz Conference, where he tackled the persistent uncertainty in U.S. crypto regulation. While conceding that the CLARITY Act is flawed, he argued it marks tangible progress, stressing that imperfect regulatory clarity is far better than the current landscape of fragmentation, confusion, and inconsistency.
“Clarity is always better than chaos,” Garlinghouse pointed out, highlighting that undefined rules have stifled innovation, deterred institutional involvement, and pushed crypto firms offshore. Ripple sees even an imperfect regulatory framework as essential for giving companies the confidence to grow and operate within the U.S.
Hoskinson remains unconvinced, echoing broader industry concerns that hastily drafted legislation like the CLARITY Act could cement biased definitions and entrench incumbents, while stifling decentralized projects and open-source innovation, core tenets of Cardano’s philosophy.
 
Well, this debate has intensified after the U.S. Senate Banking Committee stalled the broader Crypto Market Structure Bill, following warnings from Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong.
Armstrong cautioned that the draft legislation risked deepening the already murky regulatory environment, potentially creating greater compliance challenges for exchanges and developers rather than providing clarity.
Therefore, these events expose a deep fault line in crypto. While all agree that regulatory clarity is urgent, crypto leaders are clashing over the approach: some are pushing for immediate certainty to stabilize markets and attract investment, while others warn that hastily drafted laws could stifle innovation for years.