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SEC readies Reg Crypto
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is moving toward its first major crypto-specific rule proposal, with an updated agenda flagging “Regulation Crypto” for July.
The proposal would include temporary registration exemptions for developers first pushing crypto investment contracts, a safe harbor for issuers, and provisions for limited fundraising by crypto startups.
SEC Chairman Paul Atkins said the regulator is embracing innovation to “bring more products onshore” and provide clarity on custody and trading of tokenized securities onchain.
The agenda also notes the proposal remains under review at the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, and it would be the first major crypto-specific rulemaking pursued under Atkins’ leadership.
What the rule would change
CoinDesk and Traders Union both describe “Regulation Crypto” as establishing temporary exemptions from registration for developers first pushing crypto investment contracts, while also setting up a safe harbor for issuers.
Traders Union adds that the measure is designed to ease securities compliance burdens for developers, issuers and fundraising activity, and it aims to provide greater clarity on custody and trading of tokenized securities onchain.
The sources also tie the SEC’s push to a broader legislative backdrop, saying a crypto market structure bill has languished in Congress and leaving the regulator as a key focus for industry expectations.
CoinDesk further states that while the SEC has issued a taxonomy earlier this year to clarify how digital assets should be defined and treated, a formal rule carries greater legal and operational weight than staff guidance or statements.
Market stakes and metrics
The SEC’s “Regulation Crypto” agenda is presented alongside other consequential crypto work, including rules on asset custody and crypto market structure, as the agency seeks to reshape how crypto businesses raise capital and operate within U.S. securities regulation.
“For years, the promise of a revolution in digital assets was the 'democratization of finance”
CoinDesk reports that stablecoin market cap fell to $312B in June, its largest monthly drop since TerraUSD, while tokenized equity volumes surged 145% to a record $3.86B.
The same CoinDesk update frames the SEC’s role as a bright spot for regulatory hopes while noting the process to advance a crypto market structure bill has languished in Congress.
In the Traders Union account, the July rule is positioned as the SEC’s first major crypto-specific rulemaking under Atkins, giving the agency a more durable policy tool than staff guidance or statements that can be changed more easily by future leadership.
