SEC Says Regulatory Clarity for Crypto Assets Is ‘Key Priority’

Regulatory clarity for cryptocurrency assets is a “key priority” in the Securities and Exchange Commission’s regulatory agenda, SEC Chairman Paul Atkins said Thursday (Sept. 4).

In a statement on the SEC’s Spring 2025 regulatory agenda, which was released Thursday, Atkins said the plans show that it is “a new day” at the SEC and that the agency will focus on supporting innovation, capital formation, market efficiency and investor protection.

“The agenda covers potential rule proposals related to the offer and sale of crypto assets to help clarify the regulatory framework for crypto assets and provide greater certainty to the market,” Atkins said. “A key priority of my chairmanship is clear rules of the road for the issuance, custody and trading of crypto assets while continuing to discourage bad actors from violating the law.”

Among the 23 rules on SEC’s regulatory agenda are one that would include certain exemptions and safe harbors related to the offer and sale of crypto assets, another that would revise rules around the custody of advisory client and fund assets to address crypto assets, and a third that would amend Exchange Act rules to account for the trading of crypto assets on alternative trading systems (ATSs) and national securities exchanges.

This semiannual regulatory agenda was published in response to the Regulatory Flexibility Act, which requires federal agencies to publish an agenda of certain rules they expect to consider in the next 12 months. The SEC’s Spring 2025 agenda includes items that were being considered as of June 27, when the commission’s staff finished compiling the data.

Beyond the crypto-related items, the SEC is also proposing rules that would facilitate capital formation and reduce burdens around compliance, disclosures and the storage of sensitive data, Atkins said in his statement.

“Importantly, the agenda reflects our withdrawal of a host of items from the last administration that do not align with the goal that regulation should be smart, effective and appropriately tailored within the confines of our statutory authority,” Atkins said.

In another recent move, the SEC released a joint statement with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission on Tuesday, saying that SEC- and CFTC-registered exchanges are not prohibited from facilitating the trading of certain spot crypto asset products.