An analysis said a draft of the “Digital Asset Market Clarity Act (CLARITY)” under discussion in the United States includes key provisions that could classify XRP in the same category as bitcoin (BTC) and ethereum (ETH).

On Jan. 14 (local time), blockchain outlet The Crypto Basic reported that Eleanor Terrett, a Fox Business cryptocurrency reporter, explained on X, formerly Twitter, that the bill plans to treat as non-securities digital assets already supported through exchange-traded products (ETPs) as of Jan. 1, 2026.

The draft introduces a new concept called a “network token.” It centers on the idea that if the main underlying asset of an ETP listed on a U.S. exchange before a certain date is a cryptocurrency, that cryptocurrency is considered an asset rather than a security and is exempt from additional disclosure and regulatory requirements. Terrett said that if this provision is enacted, XRP would be treated legally the same as bitcoin and ethereum.

Unlike the existing approach in which regulators evaluate each project’s level of decentralisation or the extent of issuer control case by case, the bill adopts a market-based regulatory approach using established financial infrastructure as the benchmark. It places the basis for regulatory judgement not on technical structure but on nationally regulated financial products, particularly ETPs.

This approach is particularly favourable to XRP. XRP is already used as the underlying asset for several ETPs approved in the United States, and those products were all listed well before the Jan. 1, 2026 cutoff. Given the long-running regulatory controversy over XRP, it is seen as a major turning point in establishing legal status in the United States.

Since its 2012 launch, XRP grew alongside early cryptocurrencies but has operated without clear regulatory guidelines. In 2020, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission sued Ripple, alleging it sold XRP as an unregistered security, leading to a long legal battle. The dispute eased in July 2023 when a federal court ruled that XRP itself is not inherently a security, but it remained a judicial determination.

The CLARITY bill could go beyond that ruling and codify XRP’s non-security status in market structure law. If the bill passes, XRP would secure legal status equal to bitcoin and ethereum, which regulators have classified as commodities.

Separately, the Senate Agriculture Committee postponed the scheduling of a cryptocurrency market structure bill. This is seen as a move to coordinate differences within Congress and avoid unnecessary voting clashes.

According to a statement shared by Terrett, Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman John Boozman said he plans to re-examine the bill in the last week of January, instead of the previously planned joint handling with the Senate Banking Committee. He said more time is needed for additional discussions to secure bipartisan support.

NEW: Here’s an interesting section giving some tokens classification as non-ancillary assets based on their inclusion in exchange-traded products as of January 1, 2026. It says that if a token is the main asset of an ETF listed on a national securities exchange and registered… https://t.co/zYJzn44P4k pic.twitter.com/3CiGMeEW9G