Charles Hoskinson, founder of Cardano, has described the XRP community as “great people” while openly questioning why Brad Garlinghouse, chief executive of Ripple, supports the US crypto Clarity Act.
In an interview with CoinDesk, Hoskinson said the disagreement is about policy direction, not personal conflict, and stressed that he has no issues with the XRP Ledger community.
“No Problem With the XRP Army”
Hoskinson said the XRP community has been under intense pressure for years because of Ripple’s legal battle with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. That history, he said, has made parts of the community highly sensitive to criticism of Ripple’s leadership.
He added that any pushback he receives is often misunderstood as an attack on the XRP ecosystem itself, rather than a disagreement over regulation and legislation.
Why Hoskinson Opposes the Clarity Act
Hoskinson said the Clarity Act started with a solid foundation but changed significantly after more than 100 amendments were added. He argued that the revised version could classify most crypto assets as securities by default, forcing projects to seek permission from regulators to operate.
According to Hoskinson, the bill could hurt decentralized finance, limit innovation for layer-1 blockchains, and mainly benefit large institutions and banks. He said it provides little real clarity for most crypto projects and could be used against the industry in the future.
Political Risks Ahead
Hoskinson also warned that shifting US political control could increase regulatory pressure. He cited polling that suggests Democrats could regain control of Congress in 2026, giving regulators more influence over rulemaking if the Clarity Act becomes law.
He said this could allow authorities to tighten rules further and potentially restrict decentralized finance using the bill’s current structure.
Direct Criticism of Ripple CEO
Hoskinson questioned why Garlinghouse continues to support the bill, suggesting political influence may be a factor. He said:
“So, I don’t understand why Brad would be a proponent of this. Maybe he’s gotten addicted to hanging out with Donald Trump and being in that circle, but it’s not good for the industry.”
“Bad Laws Are Worse Than No Laws”
Hoskinson said unclear or poorly written legislation is more dangerous than no regulation at all. He argued that fighting issues in court is preferable to accepting rules that could give regulators broad power over crypto markets.
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