SEC Chair Announces Regulatory Shift for Crypto Markets, Paving Way for On-Chain Finance

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Paul Atkins declared a new era for digital assets, signaling a departure from enforcement-heavy oversight toward clear regulatory frameworks. Speaking at the OECD’s Paris roundtable, Atkins emphasized that "crypto’s time has come" and outlined plans to modernize securities rules through "Project Crypto."

The initiative will establish bright-line tests to determine when tokens qualify as securities, with Atkins asserting most don’t fall under SEC jurisdiction. Custody reforms and unified licensing for trading platforms integrating staking and lending services are prioritized to reduce legal uncertainty for startups.

Tokenized securities and DeFi protocols stand to benefit from the proposed rules, which Atkins framed as critical for maintaining U.S. leadership in financial innovation. The SEC chair first introduced Project crypto in July 2025 as a blueprint for on-chain capital markets.