SEC Sets Urgent Crypto Policy Meeting to Shape Regulatory Framework

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will convene an agency meeting later this month to advance a regulatory framework for the cryptocurrency industry, aiming to provide long-awaited clarity for market participants. The session will be led by SEC Chair Paul Atkins, who also released a "2026 Regulatory Agenda" statement saying the agency is working with the current administration on a push to make the United States "the crypto capital of the world." According to the SEC, the meeting will center on three newly proposed rules. The first covers exemptions and "safe harbors," laying out compliant routes for crypto-based fundraising and setting expectations for Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs), staking rewards, and airdrops. The second targets crypto exchange and broker-dealer reforms, including alternative trading systems (ATS) such as Securitize Markets, with potential changes to recordkeeping, minimum liquid capital requirements, and insolvency rules. The third addresses institutional on-chain custody of digital assets, which the agency says would permit trading in real-world assets (RWAs) under compliant conditions. Beyond those proposals, the SEC plans to discuss a pathway for tokens to transition out of the "security" category once a network becomes sufficiently decentralized. The agenda also includes potential protections for decentralized finance (DeFi) front-end development, allowing developers to avoid registering as broker-dealers as long as they do not execute trades on the platforms they build. The meeting aligns with President Donald Trump's pledge to support the crypto sector and comes as Congress is expected to convene in the same month to consider the crypto-focused CLARITY Act. The SEC is expected to publish draft rules after the meeting and finalize them later this year, opening the process to public comment from crypto firms, investors, and legal experts before formal adoption.