Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse held a high-profile meeting with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent at the Swell 2026 conference in New York. Bessent has previously urged Congress multiple times to advance the CLARITY Act, advocating for clearer rules to help the U.S. remain competitive in the rapidly evolving cryptocurrency industry. This meeting comes after Ripple received approval from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to establish a national trust bank and announced expanded partnerships with BNY Mellon and Robinhood.