SEC signals shift in crypto regulation policy, reassesses firm registration

Acting chairman Mark Uyeda announced on March 10 that the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is considering abandoning a proposal that would require certain crypto firms to register as alternative trading systems.

At the “2025 Annual Washington Conference of the Institute of International Bankers,” Uyeda told an audience of bankers that he had instructed SEC staff to evaluate ways to abandon this provision. However, the plan has yet to be finalized.

The proposal, introduced in 2022, aimed to expand oversight of the crypto sector by classifying some firms under the same regulatory framework as traditional trading platforms. This would broaden the definition of alternative trading systems (ATS) and include some digital asset platforms. At the time, the crypto industry opposed this move.

The expansion was initially part of a broader initiative to regulate Treasury markets, but Uyeda indicated that merging the regulation of government securities trading with increased oversight of crypto firms was a misstep.

Uyeda added:

“In my view, it was a mistake for the Commission to link together regulation of the Treasury markets with a heavy-handed attempt to tamp down the crypto market.”

Notably, the proposal would consider not only centralized exchanges as ATS but also DeFi protocols.

Bill Hughes, a lawyer at Consensys, posted on X that Uyeda’s statement that the proposal tying DeFi platforms to ATS needs to be abandoned is “heartening to see.”

Moreover, the US House Committee on Financial Services welcomed Uyeda’s decision through a statement shared on X.

Uyeda also stated that he has instructed SEC staff to renew discussions with the Treasury Department, the Federal Reserve, and other market participants regarding the original regulatory plans for alternative trading systems in the government securities market.

New stance

The SEC is shifting its stance under the new administration and is now more inclined to cooperate with other government agencies and interest in public feedback.

Commissioner Hester Peirce recently confirmed remarks from Caroline Pham, the acting chair of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), that both regulators cooperate on crypto matters.

Peirce also highlighted the importance of feedback from the crypto industry on regulation efforts, adding that people affected by the rules should have a place in making them. 

In this regard, through the Crypto Task Force led by Peirce, the SEC will conduct a series of public roundtables on various aspects of the crypto industry to gather public feedback.

Moreover, the Crypto Task Force has been meeting with crypto firms to discuss different aspects, such as allowing staking on exchange-traded products (ETP).

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