Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse Says Anti-Crypto Army Was Defeated by Courts, Voters and Trump

TLDR

• Brad Garlinghouse said courts, voters and Trump defeated the “Anti-Crypto Army.”
• Trump backed a digital asset market structure for U.S. crypto policy.
• Ripple’s SEC case began in 2020 over XRP’s status under securities law.
• Judge Analisa Torres ruled in 2023 that XRP secondary sales were not securities.
• Senator Warren continues to seek tighter crypto AML rules and charter reviews.

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse said the political and regulatory campaign against the digital asset industry has lost ground, pointing to court rulings, election results and President Donald Trump’s pro-crypto policy stance as key reasons for the shift.

Garlinghouse made the comments after Trump posted that the United States should become the crypto capital of the world and that laws should protect digital asset market structure from future policy reversals. The Ripple executive said the so-called “Anti-Crypto Army” had been defeated “by the courts, by the voters, and by Trump.”

The phrase has been used in U.S. political debate around digital assets, including by Senator Elizabeth Warren, who has called for tougher oversight of crypto markets. Warren has argued that stronger rules are needed to address money laundering, ransomware payments and illicit finance risks linked to digital assets.

Brad Garlinghouse Points to Ripple’s SEC Case

Garlinghouse linked his comments to Ripple’s long-running legal battle with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The SEC sued Ripple in 2020, alleging that sales of XRP involved an unregistered securities offering. The case became one of the most closely watched legal disputes in the crypto sector.

Ripple spent years fighting the agency under former SEC Chair Gary Gensler. Garlinghouse has repeatedly criticized the former SEC leadership, saying its approach created uncertainty for U.S.-based crypto companies and pushed activity away from domestic markets.

In 2023, Judge Analisa Torres ruled that XRP sales on secondary markets were not securities transactions, while also finding that certain institutional sales violated securities laws. The ruling was widely cited by crypto market participants as an important legal development for token classification.

Garlinghouse said efforts to resist financial innovation protected an older financial system rather than creating workable rules for new technology. His latest comments framed Ripple’s court result as part of a wider change in how U.S. policymakers and courts are treating crypto.

Trump Administration Pushes Crypto Policy Shift

Trump has taken credit for changing the U.S. government’s approach to digital assets. His administration has supported several crypto-related policy measures, including the GENIUS Act, plans tied to a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and support for the CLARITY Act.

The CLARITY Act is aimed at creating a federal market structure for digital assets. Supporters say the bill would define when crypto assets fall under the authority of the SEC or the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. For companies such as Ripple, clearer jurisdiction could reduce legal uncertainty around token markets.

Garlinghouse’s remarks came as some crypto executives viewed the current policy environment as more favorable than the previous administration’s approach. Ripple was also a major donor to Fairshake, a crypto-focused super PAC formed to support candidates seen as more open to digital asset legislation.

The political debate remains active. Warren has continued to challenge the crypto industry’s expansion into traditional finance. She recently sent a letter to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency seeking information about crypto-related national trust charters, including one connected to Ripple.

Warren has also supported the Digital Asset Anti-Money Laundering Act, which would apply stricter compliance requirements to parts of the crypto ecosystem, including some wallet providers, miners and validators.

XRP Regulatory Debate Remains Central

XRP remains closely tied to the regulatory debate because of Ripple’s role in cross-border payments and the SEC lawsuit that shaped market views of the token. The 2023 ruling gave Ripple a partial legal victory, but it did not end wider questions about how digital assets should be regulated across the United States.

The CLARITY Act, if passed, could provide a broader framework for tokens, exchanges and blockchain-based financial products. Some industry analysts have said the bill would help define XRP’s treatment under federal law, though final outcomes depend on the text passed by Congress and how regulators apply it.

Garlinghouse’s comments also came against a mixed crypto market backdrop. Policy developments have helped improve sentiment among parts of the industry, but digital asset prices have not always maintained gains after legislative or regulatory news. Bitcoin previously reached record levels before falling sharply, while XRP has also moved with broader market conditions.

Ripple continues to position itself around regulated crypto payments, stablecoin activity and institutional blockchain services. The company has argued that clear rules would allow U.S. firms to build products domestically rather than operate under enforcement-driven uncertainty.

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