U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Paul S. Atkins, in a speech at The Economic Club of New York, signaled a fundamental shift in the regulatory approach to crypto assets.
In her statement, Atkins said the following:
“Over the past year, we have taken steps to purposefully respond to President Trump’s call to make America the crypto capital of the world. We are taking historic steps to facilitate on-chain market movement by modernizing our rules and regulations.”
Atkins’s speech was framed within the context of a broader initiative called Project Crypto, launched by the SEC with the goal of integrating digital asset markets into the traditional financial system and mainstreaming blockchain technology.
The previous administration’s vague regulations regarding digital assets and its “regulation through enforcement” approach led to innovative companies and entrepreneurs leaving the US. Atkins stated that this was a natural market reaction and that innovation was shifting overseas.
According to Atkins, in line with President Trump’s vision, the SEC is modernizing its rules. As part of this, a clear classification for cryptocurrencies has been published. It was clarified that four out of five categories are not securities. This allows investors and entrepreneurs to gain clarity before taking action.
