Ripple Chief Legal Officer (CLO) Stuart Alderoty (스튜어트 알데로티) has rebutted a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) editorial that described pro-cryptocurrency forces as “Crypto Bros.” He argued that U.S. crypto holders are not limited to a particular group of young men and have already spread across society, numbering in the tens of millions.

On Aug. 7, blockchain outlet U.Today reported that Alderoty said stereotypes about crypto users do not match reality, taking aim at a WSJ editorial that criticised the Clarity Act, a digital-asset market-structure bill now being discussed in the Senate.

Alderoty said about 67 million people in the United States hold cryptocurrency. Grouping crypto users into a single specific category can distort the actual makeup of users, he said. He highlighted that about one third of crypto holders are women. He also said there are more crypto holders aged 55 and older than those under 25, rejecting the perception that crypto is a culture centred on young men.

Alderoty described crypto holders as “teachers, construction workers, veterans, nurses, parents, small business owners.” He stressed that cryptocurrency is spreading across diverse strata of U.S. society rather than remaining within a specific tech community or subculture.

The controversy began with an editorial on the Clarity Act published on the WSJ opinion page. The piece acknowledged that the bill could provide regulatory clarity the crypto industry has long sought, but argued that some provisions should be revised before final passage.

The editorial said some provisions could leave room to provide stablecoin-related compensation to crypto exchanges. It raised concern that such a structure could be abused in a form effectively similar to interest payments. It also said there could be problems with exemption provisions applied to some decentralised networks.

There was also pushback within the crypto industry. Blockchain Association Chief Executive Ji Kim (지 킴) criticised the editorial, saying it contained inaccurate content in terms of facts and legal aspects.

The debate is widening beyond the bill’s details to broader social perceptions of the crypto industry. While the industry stresses that crypto users have already expanded across U.S. society, a substantial negative view of the industry still persists in politics.

Resistance among Democratic-leaning voters toward the crypto industry also appears high. In a poll conducted by Democratic-leaning polling firm Normington Petts and obtained by Semafor, 84 percent of Democratic primary voters said they view negatively a candidate backed by the crypto industry.

The poll showed the crypto industry was viewed more negatively among the Democratic base than oil companies, Wall Street banks and data centres. This shows that rising numbers of crypto holders and increasing political and social acceptance are separate issues. The user base is expanding rapidly, but political trust and perceptions of the industry remain divided.

Ultimately, the U.S. debate over crypto regulation is expected to address not only the specific regulatory content of the Clarity Act but also perceptions about what kind of group the crypto industry represents. How much the gap can be narrowed between the industry’s emphasis on a broad user base and negative perceptions in politics is expected to emerge as another variable in future regulatory discussions.