Key Takeaways:
- A new report by the National Cryptocurrency Association shows that one in four American adults now owns crypto.
- 67% of crypto holders aren’t a niche anymore, says Chief Legal Officer & NCA President Stuart Alderoty.
- Revived the comments as lawmakers still discuss the CLARITY Act, a bill that aims to create a more definitive regulatory structure for digital assets.
Washington is unable to wash its hands of crypto because of the magnitude of adoption in the United States, industry leaders say. Stuart Alderoty, the President of the National Cryptocurrency Association and Chief Legal Officer of Ripple, is encouraging policymakers to acknowledge the fact that digital asset users now make up a significant portion of the American populace.
Alderoty counters this idea in a recent opinion piece and comments he posted on X, noting that recent data reveals that about 67 million American adults hold crypto assets to their name.
1 in 4 American adults now hold crypto. Somehow that constituency still gets dismissed as a fringe. My latest op-ed on who they really are, and what they deserve from Washington. https://t.co/aAKhsArgbN
— Stuart Alderoty (@s_alderoty) July 6, 2026
Read More: CLARITY Act Gains Momentum as Ripple Backs Rules for 67M U.S. Crypto Holders
Crypto Ownership Reaches New Highs
Business Insider reports that per the 2026 State of Crypto Holders Report by the National Cryptocurrency Association, one out of four Americans currently own crypto. Similarly, the study revealed the growth in crypto-ownership by around 12 million individuals during the last year.
Alderoty says this is representative of a wider change in the users of crypto. This is a market not owned by technophiles or by traders but by people who work, have families, retire or run into small businesses.
Adoption is definitely getting more diverse, says the report. 42% of new crypto users were female while a large proportion of users hail from middle-class user households. It is reported that over half of those who own them make less than $150,000 a year, and almost 25% make less than $75,000 a year.
CLARITY Act Debate Gains Momentum
The legislation seeks to introduce more clarity around the rules applicable to digital assets and clarify the duties of regulators in the cryptocurrency space.
Alderoty says the bill isn’t targeted at any particular cryptocurrencies. Rather, it would provide a framework for fundamental market rules, as well as better protections for consumers and a greater certainty for innovation, he says.
In addition, the Ripple executive dismissed interpretations of recent polls which indicated minimal interest in crypto legislation. The survey found that 27% of Americans are in favor of the CLARITY Act, which is roughly the same percentage as individual adults who already own cryptocurrencies, Alderoty said.
Read More: CLARITY Act Nears Senate Vote as Solana Pushes Critical Crypto Developer Protections
Changing Perceptions Around Crypto Users
The change in the profile of cryptocurrency owners is one of the most remarkable aspects of the NCA report.
The data reveals that in excess of one-fifth of holders are employed in the construction and manufacturing sector, suggesting that the crypto marketplace isn’t just for technology savvy jobholders or rich investors.
The report also revealed that many entities are not simply speculators but rather are using digital assets for various business activities, remittances, charitable giving or payments.
