SEC Unveils New Crypto Rule Proposals

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has introduced a series of proposed rule changes that Chair Paul Atkins said are intended to "help clarify the regulatory framework for crypto assets and provide greater certainty to the market" as part of the agency’s annual regulatory agenda.

In a notice released Tuesday, Atkins said the SEC’s 2026 agenda aligns with the Trump administration’s digital asset policy objectives. The proposals focus on areas including tokenized securities, capital raising using digital assets, crypto broker-dealers, digital assets traded on alternative trading systems and national securities exchanges, as well as potential exemptions and safe harbors for certain digital assets.

“The proposed rules may provide greater certainty to the market, facilitate capital formation, and accommodate innovation within the crypto asset markets while, at the same time, ensuring that investors are adequately protected and provided with the information they need to make informed investment decisions,” the SEC said regarding one proposal covering the offer and sale of crypto assets.

Regulatory shift continues as Congress debates crypto oversight

The SEC’s proposals arrive as Congress continues debating a crypto market structure bill that could transfer much of the industry's regulatory oversight from the SEC to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

Earlier this year, Atkins said the SEC planned to establish a regulatory “bridge” to provide greater clarity for the crypto industry, while also indicating that the agency would defer to any legislation ultimately approved by Congress.

Critics question SEC’s changing crypto approach

The SEC’s evolving stance under President Donald Trump and Chair Atkins has drawn criticism from some lawmakers, who argue the administration has taken an overly favorable approach toward the crypto industry.

In a January letter, Democratic lawmakers claimed Trump and individuals associated with him had financially benefited from companies—including Binance, Coinbase, Ripple Labs and Kraken—that had previously faced regulatory scrutiny before enforcement actions were dropped.

“The SEC’s decision to let those who violated the securities laws go without consequences, together with recent statements by Chair Atkins that ‘most crypto tokens are not securities,’ despite holdings by federal district courts that at least some tokens are securities, has left a vacuum whereby securities violations by crypto firms are not enforced and US investors are not protected,” three Democratic House members wrote in a letter addressed to Atkins.

Separately, Trump told reporters on Monday that he became involved with cryptocurrencies “a little bit for politics.” After previously describing Bitcoin as a “scam” following his first presidential term, Trump gradually shifted his position ahead of the 2024 election, engaging with crypto industry leaders and publicly supporting the sector.

Sources:

https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/speeches-statements/atkins-statement-2026-regulatory-agenda-070726

https://democrats-financialservices.house.gov/uploadedfiles/01.14.2026_ltr_sec_rfcryptoe.pdf

https://cointelegraph.com/news/sec-crypto-rule-changes-2026-agenda