Charles Hoskinson, founder of the Cardano blockchain, has issued a sharp warning over the future of US crypto regulation, arguing that political hesitation in Washington could derail long-awaited legislative clarity for digital assets. His comments underline growing industry frustration as Congress struggles to turn bipartisan momentum into law.
Speaking this week, Charles Hoskinson said he does not expect the Digital Asset Market CLARITY Act to pass in the current legislative window. In his view, failure to move quickly risks losing the opportunity altogether if political control of Congress shifts after the next US elections.
Hoskinson went further, calling for the resignation of David Sacks, a senior crypto adviser aligned with former president Donald Trump. He argued that the lack of tangible regulatory progress has left the US digital asset sector in prolonged uncertainty, discouraging investment and slowing innovation.
The CLARITY Act is designed to resolve one of the most contested issues in US crypto policy, namely whether digital assets fall under the jurisdiction of the Securities and Exchange Commission or the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Supporters say clearer lines of authority would reduce legal risk for developers and exchanges, while critics warn that political compromise could water down enforcement.
Hoskinson also criticised recent US crypto bills focused narrowly on stablecoins, saying they favour large financial institutions over open-source developers. He reiterated his view that blockchain networks are inherently global and cannot be shaped around national industrial policy without undermining their core design.
While the debate is US-centric, it has clear implications for Europe. Delays in Washington reinforce the contrast with the European Union’s more structured approach under MiCA, even as Brussels continues to refine its own rules around stablecoins and decentralised finance. For European policymakers, the US impasse is a reminder that regulatory uncertainty can persist for years without decisive political alignment.
The coming months will show whether US lawmakers can translate consensus into law, or whether the global crypto industry will continue to look elsewhere for regulatory certainty.