SKN | Crypto Must Cement Adoption to Withstand US Policy Shifts, Canton CEO Says

Key Points

• Canton CEO Yuval Rooz said the crypto industry should use the current regulatory environment to accelerate institutional blockchain adoption and make the technology harder to reverse under future administrations.
• Rooz compared blockchain adoption with the growth of Uber and Airbnb, arguing that widespread use can make policy reversals more difficult once technology becomes deeply integrated into everyday economic activity.
• Binance and Franklin Templeton executives also highlighted the importance of regulatory certainty, while differing on how much the industry should depend on passage of the CLARITY Act.

The cryptocurrency industry should use the current regulatory environment to accelerate institutional adoption and establish blockchain infrastructure deeply enough that future changes in US policy would be less likely to reverse its progress, according to Canton CEO Yuval Rooz.

Speaking at Token2049 in Singapore, Rooz argued that the industry should focus on making blockchain technology sufficiently widespread that a change in US administration in 2028 would have limited ability to unwind the progress already made.

Adoption Could Create Policy Resilience

Rooz compared blockchain’s potential trajectory with the expansion of consumer platforms such as Uber and Airbnb. His argument was that widespread adoption can change the policy equation by making a technology or business model increasingly embedded in economic activity before regulators fully determine how to address it.

The next US presidential election is scheduled for Nov. 7, 2028, creating a potential point of uncertainty for the cryptocurrency industry if a future administration adopts different regulatory priorities.

For Rooz, the response should be greater adoption rather than waiting for a permanent political consensus. Institutional use of blockchain could create a broader base of businesses and financial institutions with an interest in maintaining the infrastructure and services developed under the current regulatory environment.

CLARITY Act Remains a Key Uncertainty

The discussion comes after the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act failed to advance in a Senate procedural vote in September. The setback left the US digital-asset industry without the comprehensive market-structure legislation that many companies had expected to provide longer-term regulatory certainty.

The Securities and Exchange Commission and Commodity Futures Trading Commission have nevertheless continued pursuing cryptocurrency-related regulatory initiatives under their existing authorities.

The distinction between legislation and agency action remains important for the industry. Regulatory policies can change with leadership and administrations, while legislation would establish requirements and jurisdiction through federal law.

Industry Leaders Take Different Views

Binance co-CEO Richard Teng, who participated in the same Token2049 panel, said he remained hopeful that the CLARITY Act could eventually become law. He argued that legislation could reduce the risk of regulatory backtracking and encourage more institutions to participate in the digital-asset market.

Franklin Templeton CEO Jenny Johnson also said legislation would provide greater certainty, but cautioned against relying exclusively on the CLARITY Act. She pointed to ongoing efforts by the SEC and CFTC as evidence that regulatory clarity can continue developing even without the legislation.

The differing views reflect a broader debate within the industry over whether institutional adoption should depend on comprehensive congressional action or proceed through regulatory developments and market infrastructure already taking shape.

Institutional Adoption Becomes Strategic Priority

For blockchain companies and financial institutions, the debate increasingly extends beyond individual rules and toward the broader question of how deeply digital assets can become integrated into financial markets before political priorities change.

Greater institutional participation could provide a larger economic base for blockchain infrastructure, while clearer rules could reduce barriers for companies considering adoption. The combination of the two could determine how resilient the sector becomes to future changes in US policy.

Outlook

The crypto industry faces a potential policy transition ahead of the 2028 US election, but the pace of institutional adoption could be more important than the political cycle itself. Rooz’s argument places greater emphasis on building real-world use cases and financial infrastructure now, while other industry leaders continue to push for legislative certainty. Whether adoption can become sufficiently entrenched to withstand changes in regulatory priorities will depend on how quickly blockchain becomes integrated into mainstream financial activity.