Stuart Alderoty, Ripple’s chief legal officer, has directly linked the passage of the CLARITY Act to significant job creation and broader economic growth in the United States. “A vote for Clarity is a vote for jobs and economic growth,” Alderoty wrote on X, intensifying the industry’s push for clearer digital asset regulations.
The statement comes on the heels of new research from the National Cryptocurrency Association (NCA), produced in partnership with the Pragmatic Policy Group. The report estimates that the U.S. crypto industry supports 232,000 jobs in 2026. Of those, approximately 34,000 are direct positions at crypto companies like Ripple and Coinbase, 75,000 jobs are supported by suppliers and contractors—including law firms, cloud-computing providers, and accounting businesses—and an additional 123,000 jobs are derived from consumer spending by those workers.
The NCA also calculates that the crypto sector contributes $55 billion to the U.S. economy and generates roughly $31 billion in worker income. Average pay across the sector stands at about $133,000, more than double the national median wage of $64,000. California leads with 57,600 supported jobs, followed by New York (53,800), Texas (26,500), Washington (15,100), North Carolina (9,500), and Colorado (5,800).
The CLARITY Act, which aims to define whether digital assets are securities or commodities, passed the House of Representatives by a 294-134 vote in July 2025 and advanced out of the Senate Banking Committee in a bipartisan 15-9 vote in May. Despite releasing updated language in July, the Senate vote was delayed beyond the August recess. A cloture vote is now scheduled for September 15, though White House officials remain optimistic that the bill can still advance in September. The odds, however, are not encouraging for crypto proponents.
Supporters argue that without clear rules, the United States risks falling behind jurisdictions like the UK, Singapore, and parts of the EU that have already implemented comprehensive crypto regulations. The bill’s passage could signal a shift toward an innovation-friendly stance, reversing the outward flow of crypto companies and talent.
