Nasdaq to SEC: Stop Dragging Your Feet on Crypto Rules

Wall Street’s tech-heavy exchange isn’t mincing words—regulators need to clarify whether cryptocurrencies are securities, commodities, or something else entirely.

The demand comes as institutional investors hover on the sidelines, waiting for regulatory certainty before diving into digital assets. Meanwhile, the SEC keeps playing whack-a-mole with crypto projects instead of providing clear guidelines.

Funny how traditional finance suddenly wants rules once they realize they can’t out-innovate decentralized protocols. Maybe next they’ll ask for a bailout when their stablecoin bets go south.

• Nasdaq calls for SEC to categorize digital assets as financial securities.
• New SEC position on memecoins and stablecoins shifts regulatory approach.
• Nasdaq proposes a clear jurisdiction division between SEC and CFTC for crypto.

Nasdaq has asked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to develop clearer regulatory policies for digital assets. Nasdaq emphasized the importance of clear classification of digital assets as well as proposed that some be classified as financial securities. Nasdaq believes this classification will establish unified regulatory standards for crypto assets and traditional securities.

Nasdaq Calls For Standardized Digital Assets Classification 

On April 25, Nasdaq submitted a letter to the SEC to request for detailed classification of digital assets. The document proposed the classification of cryptocurrencies into financial securities, digital asset investment contracts, digital asset commodities and other digital assets. The exchange proposed that assets which exhibit similar qualities to traditional securities should be treated as securities whether tokenized or not.

Nasdaq insisted that digital assets that match the securities standards should be regulated similar to stock and bonds. It emphasizes that whether an asset exists as a paper share, digital share or a token its value remains unaltered. Therefore, such assets should be subjected to similar trading and regulatory standards as traditional securities.

Shift in SEC’s Crypto Regulations

The SEC continues to face increased pressure to establish clear policies for digital assets. Under the leadership of former Chair Gary Gensler, the SEC classified most cryptocurrencies as investment contracts. This approach led to several lawsuits against crypto companies for violation of securities laws. However, the appointment of Paul Atkins as SEC Chair has shifted the commission’s regulatory approach to focus on specific cryptocurrencies.

Nasdaq’s letter comes amid a shift in SEC’s regulatory approach towards digital assets. The SEC recently stated that memecoins, which are speculative assets, do not qualify as investment contracts. Moreover, stablecoins marketed primarily as payment tools do not constitute securities. The SEC continues to change its regulatory approach to protect investors and foster innovation.

Impact of Clear Digital Asset Classification and Regulation

Nasdaq emphasized that appropriate classification standards could enhance the integration of digital assets into traditional finance. Nasdaq referenced the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) which seeks to integrate blockchain technology in regulated markets. The DTCC has implemented Ethereum’s ERC-3643 standard for  permissioned security tokens.

The letter requests the SEC and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to establish clear divisions in their regulatory jurisdictions. This approach would outline the roles of different agencies in terms of digital assets regulation. Moreover, Nasdaq proposed that platforms which manage multiple digital assets should have a standard regulatory framework.