Key Takeaways:
- SEC Chair Paul Atkins called the Regulation Crypto Assets proposal the agency’s most historic step yet for crypto.
- Atkins said the proposal is designed to help establish the U.S. as the “Crypto Capital of the World.”
- He also voted in support of efforts by Congress to proceed with the CLARITY Act, and advance it to President Donald Trump.
SEC Chief Paul Atkins reiterates agency’s quest for clearer crypto rules as it proposes Regulation Crypto Assets, urges Congress to move faster on general market-structure legislation.
The comments highlight that the SEC appears to be trending towards accommodating cryptocurrencies under Atkins as the agency attempts to establish even-harsher guidelines for issuers and market participants.
SEC Puts Crypto Regulation at the Center
Atkins said Regulation Crypto Assets represents the SEC’s “most historic step yet” toward making the United States the global center of crypto innovation.
The Regulation Crypto Assets proposal is our most historic step yet to cement America as the Crypto Capital of the World—and is consonant with our belief that Congress should send the CLARITY Act to the President’s desk. pic.twitter.com/Z9Pep2Wvph
— Paul Atkins (@SECPaulSAtkins) September 2, 2026
The proposal, released by the SEC on August 18, would introduce a specific securities offering structure for select investment contracts with crypto assets. There are two suggested registration exemptions: $5,000,000 in offerings over four years, and $75,000,000 within a 12-month period.
Along with this, the SEC proposed a conditional safe harbor, which it noted could exempt some crypto assets from the definition of an investment contract if certain conditions were met. The purpose of the framework is to give entrepreneurs more transparency in where to get capital, and to put investor protections in place, the agency said.
Read More: Ripple CEO Backs New SEC Direction as 360M XRP Accumulation Signals Shift
Atkins Wants Congress to Deliver CLARITY
In tandem with the SEC’s rulemaking, Atkins is seeking regulators to secure a longer-term solution to the crypto market’s lack of legislation.
The SEC is carrying out its work in a manner consistent with his principle that Congress needs to send the CLARITY Act to the President’s desk, he said. The bill aims to give digital asset regulations more clarity and to define clearer regulatory boundaries between federal financial regulators.
Earlier Atkins has claimed that regulation is necessary to establish long-term crypto regulation that won’t simply be struck down by a future regulator. He was adamant that Congress action is crucial for establishing a blueprint for a permanent policy on digital assets, as he had written in his August 18 statement.
SEC Pushes for Clearer Crypto Rules
The newest plan is based on a major interpretation released by the SEC in March that studied how federal securities laws apply to various kinds of crypto assets and goods and services.
In that interpretation, categories added were digital commodities, digital collectibles, digital tools, stablecoins and digital securities, as well as other activities such as airdrops, wrapping fixed value tokens and mining.
With the Regulation Crypto Assets proposal, the SEC is taking a significant step closer to a formal rule-based framework. The public comment period on the proposal will run until October 20, 2026, providing a chance for crypto businesses, investors and other market players to submit their views before the rules go into effect.
Read More: SEC Eyes Tokenized Stocks Plan That Could Unlock Trillions in Crypto Trading Markets
