XRP traders are heading into the CLARITY Act’s biggest Senate test with a dramatically different political setup after President Donald Trump agreed to most of a bipartisan ethics proposal that had become the legislation’s largest unresolved obstacle.
Trump accepted roughly 80% of a compromise negotiated by Republican Sen. Thom Tillis and Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego, according to the Associated Press. The agreement includes stronger restrictions around elected officials’ crypto interests and gives state attorneys general an enforcement role alongside federal authorities.
The breakthrough lands immediately before the Senate’s Sept. 15 procedural vote, which Ripple Chief Legal Officer Stuart Alderoty has called a “bellwether” for whether crypto market-structure legislation can move through Congress. The motion to proceed requires 60 votes.
Democrats’ Biggest Objection Just Became Smaller
The significance is clearer when compared with negotiations only weeks ago.
In August, Gallego said lawmakers had repeatedly sent ethics proposals to the White House only to receive little or no meaningful response. A July Tillis-Gallego compromise sought stronger rules around officials’ crypto holdings, blind trusts and enforcement powers.
As recently as Sept. 10, the new 630-page CLARITY Act draft still lacked a bipartisan ethics agreement. That was the central problem in the latest XRP regulatory setup.
Trump’s concession does not guarantee passage. Democrats still have concerns around illicit finance, stablecoin rewards and consumer protections, while some Republicans have their own reservations.
But the bill now enters Tuesday with one of its most politically difficult disputes materially narrowed.
XRP Holds $1.36 While ETF Money Keeps Arriving
XRP was trading near $1.36, within a 24-hour range of roughly $1.32 to $1.43, showing limited reaction despite the political breakthrough.
Institutional positioning has been stronger.
U.S. spot XRP ETFs attracted $18.98 million across Sept. 8–10, including $12.29 million on Sept. 9 and $5.14 million on Sept. 10, even while Bitcoin funds suffered hundreds of millions of dollars in withdrawals.
That divergence extends the recent XRP ETF inflow streak, while Goldman Sachs, Jane Street and Millennium already rank among notable institutional XRP ETF holders.
| CLARITY Act milestone | Status |
|---|---|
| Updated 630-page draft | Released |
| Democratic-requested changes | 100+ incorporated |
| Trump ethics compromise | ~80% accepted |
| Senate procedural vote | Sept. 15 |
| Votes required | 60 |
For XRP specifically, Tuesday still does not determine whether XRP is a security or commodity, nor would a successful vote immediately enact the CLARITY Act.
