Ripple CEO Says Pro-Crypto Wins Prove Crypto Voters Aren't Going Anywhere

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse didn't wait long to call it. On Nov. 4 he declared that pro-crypto candidates had won across party lines in the U.S. elections, framing the results as proof the industry's voters are a permanent fixture rather than a passing trend.

His message, posted on X, leaned on a big number: 67 million Americans using crypto. Garlinghouse wrote that pro-crypto members won on both sides of the aisle and that those users aren't going anywhere, adding that the new Congress faces the same mission — clear rules, built in America.

That 67 million figure comes from the National Cryptocurrency Association's 2026 State of Crypto Holders Report, released May 13. The crypto education nonprofit, run by Ripple Chief Legal Officer Stuart Alderoty, produced the research with polling firm The Harris Poll. It puts ownership at roughly one in four American adults, up from one in five a year earlier.

Alderoty pointed to Fairshake, the super PAC backing pro-crypto candidates, as a difference-maker in both primaries and the general election. He credited years of grinding work by grassroots advocates and industry groups, and said early Stand With Crypto data shows a substantial number of pro-crypto members elected across both parties.

Ripple had skin in that game long before ballots were counted. The company disclosed its third $25 million contribution to Fairshake in November 2024, with Alderoty calling it part of a pledge to stay a strong force in Washington for years. Earlier this year he courted undecided Senate offices as lawmakers weighed the CLARITY Act, urging senators in September to meet crypto-holding Americans before voting.

The CLARITY Act didn't advance in the Senate, and Alderoty responded by calling for coordinated industry advocacy and a sharper policy message. After the election he congratulated everyone elected and said he looked forward to working with both parties, adding that clear rules for digital assets were never a one-cycle project. Beyond politics, he described crypto as mainstream finance, citing banks and businesses, and said Ripple's plans include more super PAC engagement, advocacy and nonprofit education.