- SEC shifts to a rule-based crypto framework, moving away from enforcement-led oversight.
- New digital asset rules lower barriers, enabling U.S. startups to innovate onshore.
- President’s Digital Assets Group aligns SEC actions with national crypto strategy.
The United States is signaling a decisive shift in how it approaches cryptocurrency regulation. After years of uncertainty, the U.S. is moving toward a clearer, rule-based framework designed to keep innovation onshore. Connecting with the concept, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has aligned its crypto regulation strategy with the President’s digital assets plan.
Rule-Based Regulation Replaces Enforcement
SEC Chair Paul Atkins confirmed that the agency will adopt a rules-based framework instead of leading with enforcement actions, thus aligning with the roadmap released by the President’s Digital Assets Working Group in July. The SEC will now build a structured regulatory regime that facilitates crypto business development in the United States.
The new policy replaces the earlier approach that drove many projects overseas due to unclear enforcement risks. Former Chair Gary Gensler maintained that most tokens were securities, triggering broad compliance demands, while Atkins argued that classification depends more on the sale and packaging of tokens.
To support innovation, the SEC will introduce safe harbor provisions and tailored exemptions for digital assets. This updated framework will provide upcoming projects sufficient time to develop without immediate legal burdens, thus reducing barriers while maintaining essential controls.
President’s Digital Assets Group to Drive New Phase
Atkins announced the formation of the President’s Digital Assets Group during the Wyoming Blockchain Symposium, stating that the primary task is to implement the Working Group’s policy roadmap across SEC activities. This initiative acts as a key pillar in Trump’s broader digital asset agenda.
The group will match the efforts of Congress, the White House, and federal regulators to have unified policymaking. The government’s continuity in approach should avoid fractured regulations that may hamper competitiveness. This collaboration is also aimed at ensuring global parity alignment as the regulation of digital assets matures.
By focusing on constructive rulemaking, the group plans to reduce uncertainty and promote legal clarity, thus creating new disclosure requirements suited for crypto projects without overburdening developers. These rules will enhance transparency while maintaining technical flexibility.
Related: SEC’s Crypto Decision Sparks Surge in RWA Custody Services
Lower Barriers May Anchor Crypto Innovation Onshore
This policy shift will likely reawaken domestic cryptocurrency operations that have been stagnated by the enforcement-focused Gensler monitoring. Further, the regulation change is backed by entrepreneurs and venture companies, such as Andreessen Horowitz and the DeFi Education Fund. They contend that the introduction of more explicit regulations on digital assets will spur U.S.-based project launches.
The SEC intends to provide pathways for compliant offerings like airdrops, ICOs, and decentralized applications, which will be regulated under frameworks that support growth while targeting fraud and manipulation. Atkins clarified that enforcement will remain, but focus strictly on wrongdoing.
This digital asset strategy indicates taht the U.S. wants to lead the future of global finance. The SEC cannot substitute Congress, but provides a middle path through its rules. The decision on rule-based crypto regulation indicates teh administration of Trump in updating financial regulation.
