Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse weighed in on shifting dynamics within the U.S. cryptocurrency landscape as regulatory debates continue. He shared his assessment on Jan. 20, stating that Binance’s return to the U.S. market is unavoidable and could reshape competition across the sector.
“It’s a very large market, and … not that many years ago, they were a material player,” Garlinghouse stated in a CNBC interview in Davos. The Ripple chief executive added:
“I think they’ll come back because they’re a capitalistic, innovative company that wants to solve … larger markets and continue to grow.”
His remarks followed separate comments from Binance co-CEO Richard Teng, who described the exchange’s current posture as a “wait-and-see” approach toward reentering the U.S., which he characterized as “a very important marketplace.”
Binance exited the country in 2023 after reaching a $4.3 billion settlement with the Department of Justice (DOJ) tied to compliance failures, and the subsequent guilty plea of then-CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ). Zhao later received a pardon from President Donald Trump, fueling renewed speculation about Binance’s strategic options.
Read more: Binance: Crypto Breaks out of Retail Era as Institutions Lock in Long-Term Exposure
Garlinghouse outlined why he views a comeback as broadly positive for digital asset markets, emphasizing competition, liquidity, and pricing efficiency. He stressed that renewed participation by a global exchange would expand access and reduce costs, noting:
“I think it will actually have the positive impact of bringing more people into the market, in part because it’ll reduce pricing.”
He contrasted current conditions, stating, “Today their pricing is lower on a global basis than what we see here in the U.S.”
The discussion unfolded amid intense debate over the Genius Act ( stablecoin law) and the proposed Clarity Act. While Garlinghouse remains supportive of the current framework, federal oversight stalled in mid-January 2026 after Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong abruptly withdrew support for the Clarity Act. This forced the Senate Banking Committee to postpone its markup session. Armstrong identified several non-negotiable flaws, arguing the draft favors traditional banks by effectively banning stablecoin rewards to prevent capital flight from savings accounts. Additionally, Coinbase opposed restrictions on tokenized equities and decentralized finance ( DeFi). Despite this friction, many advocates believe resolving these hurdles—combined with a potential U.S. return for Binance—could signal a major bullish turning point for the crypto economy.
- Why does Brad Garlinghouse think Binance will return to the U.S.?
He says the U.S. is too large and important for a global exchange like Binance to ignore. - How could Binance’s return affect U.S. crypto markets?
Garlinghouse argues it would boost competition, liquidity, and lower pricing. - Why did Binance leave the U.S. market in 2023?
Binance exited after a $4.3 billion DOJ settlement and compliance-related guilty plea. - What role does crypto regulation play in Binance’s potential comeback?
Pending legislation like the Clarity Act could shape the rules for Binance’s reentry.
免责声明：本文章仅代表作者个人观点，不代表本平台的立场和观点。本文章仅供信息分享，不构成对任何人的任何投资建议。用户与作者之间的任何争议，与本平台无关。如网页中刊载的文章或图片涉及侵权，请提供相关的权利证明和身份证明发送邮件到support@aicoin.com，本平台相关工作人员将会进行核查。
