Ashley Moody defends Washington’s approach to crypto

Senator Ashley Moody took the Consensus Miami 2026 stage on Thursday to tell the crypto industry how she sees the relationship between Washington and digital assets.

Senator Ashley Moody took the Consensus Miami 2026 stage on Thursday alongside Digital Chamber CEO Cody Carbone to discuss how Washington should engage with the digital asset industry. It is her first Consensus appearance, part of a broader push by federal officials to be seen at the industry’s biggest annual event.

The session comes at a pivotal moment for crypto legislation. The CLARITY Act is racing toward a potential Senate Banking Committee markup before the May 21 Memorial Day recess, with Senators Cynthia Lummis and Bernie Moreno warning that failure pushes the next window to 2030.

As crypto.news reported, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse called the past week a “big positive shift” in Senate momentum from the same stage on Day 1.

A Senate debut for crypto policy

Moody’s appearance follows Senator Kirsten Gillibrand’s Day 2 remarks, covered by crypto.news, in which Gillibrand expressed optimism about the CLARITY Act’s path through Congress.

CFTC Chairman Michael Selig and White House official Patrick Witt also attended Consensus 2026 for the first time, as the Senate Banking Committee targets a CLARITY Act markup the week of May 11.

Consensus 2026 drew more than 20,000 attendees to Miami Beach, with institutional participation at approximately 35% of the audience, representing an estimated $10 trillion in assets under management.

Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan are first-time sponsors. Washington’s engagement with crypto has shifted from occasional to consistent, and Moody’s Consensus debut is one more marker of that change.