U.S. SEC issues digital-asset guidelines…Paul Atkins: "aimed at reflecting industry demands"

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has issued guidelines aimed at easing the regulatory burden on digital-asset (cryptocurrency) companies.

According to The New York Times (NYT) on the 30th (local time), the SEC recently presented guidelines designed to reduce regulatory burdens applied to digital-asset firms.

SEC Chair Paul Atkins, speaking at an industry event in Washington, referenced the release of the guidelines and said that "the relevant details will likely have already been communicated."

The document that has been made public runs about 68 pages and includes provisions that exclude certain digital assets from existing securities regulation, reflecting industry requests.

The move follows last year’s withdrawal of enforcement actions against major digital-asset companies, fueling interpretations that the regulatory stance is shifting from an "enforcement-led" approach to "policy refinement."

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has also recently taken a favorable stance toward digital assets and prediction markets, joining the broader deregulation trend. The two agencies appear to be maintaining a cooperative posture, emphasizing support for industry growth and greater regulatory clarity.

Analysts say the changes are unfolding in tandem with President Donald Trump’s policy direction. Trump emphasized support for the digital-asset industry during the election campaign, and the regulatory environment has since been easing rapidly.

The guidelines are not legally binding rules at present, and they may be revised depending on the forthcoming public comment process or changes in administration, according to reports.