Ripple's Top Lawyer Says XRP's Legal Status Remains Intact After Senate Blocks CLARITY Act

The U.S. Senate on Tuesday, September 15, halted progress on the CLARITY Act after a procedural vote failed 49–50, short of the 60 votes required to move the bill to formal floor debate. Following the setback, Ripple Chief Legal Officer Stuart Alderoty said XRP's legal footing remains "settled." In a post on X, he pointed to a 2023 federal court ruling that found programmatic sales of XRP on exchanges do not amount to securities transactions. Alderoty also cited a joint SEC and CFTC interpretation issued in March 2026 that labeled XRP a "digital commodity," among sixteen digital assets covered in the document. XRP fell 7.95% over the past 24 hours to $1.29, according to CoinMarketCap. Platform technicals indicated the drop below the 200-day moving average around $1.355 likely triggered additional defensive selling. The CLARITY Act had passed the House of Representatives in July 2025 by a 294–134 vote. In the Senate, talks stalled amid disputes over public ethics standards and how decentralized protocols should be overseen. Market participants say the absence of comprehensive federal legislation leaves key boundaries to agency-level rulemaking. Ripple executives said business activity will continue unchanged. CEO Brad Garlinghouse said commercial operations and cross-border agreements remain on track. The CFTC's published roadmap calls for updated spot-market guidance toward the end of the fourth quarter.