Key Takeaways
After several public discussions by the SEC Crypto Task Force, the regulator may be ready to adopt proposals and issue clear guidance for the sector. Will regulatory clarity drive more adoption?
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has released a near-term agenda for the crypto sector. It is aimed at more regulatory clarity, while easing operations for market players.
According to SEC Chair Paul Atkins, the move is the beginning of a ‘new day’ at the agency.
“Today, we released the Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions. This agenda reflects that it is a new day at the SEC.”
Source: X
The plan, dubbed Spring 2025 Unified Agenda, includes several proposals linked to trading crypto assets and the related regulatory clarity for ‘greater certainty for the market.’
Atkins added that setting clear rules for crypto is his ‘key priority’ right now.
“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.”
Great for Wall Street?
Some of the recent deregulation actions have targeted restrictive Biden-era guidances. According to the regulator, it would allow crypto to be traded on national securities exchanges and alternative trading platforms.
In fact, a recent joint guidance with the CFTC (Commodity Futures Trading Commission) gave the green light for traditional exchanges to support certain spot crypto assets.
According to experts, crypto could go ‘mainstream’ as exchanges like Nasdaq, NYSE, and brokerage platforms begin to support spot trading for Bitcoin[BTC], Ethereum [ETH], and other assets.
The agency also plans to review the Consolidated Audit Trail to reduce the compliance burden linked to consistent data reporting activities for market players.
The update is not surprising though. Most of these proposals and rules followed a series of public discussions the agency’s Crypto Task Force had with market participants over the past few months.
In fact, the task force is still open for more public input ahead of finalization of these proposals and rule-making for the sector. For instance – In a comment to the SEC, market maker Wintermute urged the agency to clarify its jurisdiction and declare network tokens as non-security.
Source: X
The ongoing updates are also part of a broader pro-crypto policy under President Donald Trump’s administration. Since resuming office in early 2025, the administration has rolled back all Biden-era crypto enforcement actions against Binance, Ripple Labs, and others.
CFTC’s Acting Chair Caroline D. Pham wants the U.S to also set and dominate cross-border crypto regulations.
“The U.S. must return to being a rule maker, not a rule taker. We must be leaders in establishing a cross-border regulatory framework for crypto and Web3 that ensures deep liquidity and efficient markets.”