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SEC Targets Crypto Rules, IPO Revival, Private Market Access
Chairman Paul Atkins wants clearer crypto custody rules, tokenized securities standards, and easier capital raising for private companies. The SEC aims to set rules before products leave US territory.
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The SEC placed crypto regulation, IPOs, and private-market access at the heart of its 2026 agenda. Chairman Paul Atkins wants to clarify custody rules for digital assets and set standards for tokenized securities. He also aims to ease capital raising for companies that stay private longer.
The first priority is crypto. The SEC wants clearer rules for companies raising capital with digital assets. Atkins believes the United States must become the center of gravity for financial innovation again. The goal is no longer just to sanction after the fact. The SEC wants to set rules before products leave American territory, Atkins said.
This approach marks a break with years of confrontation. Crypto players had long demanded a predictable framework. They criticized the old model for turning every launch into a legal gamble.
The second crypto priority focuses on custody and trading of tokenized securities. The SEC wants to clarify how intermediaries can hold these assets and facilitate on-chain trading. Tokenized securities represent shares, bonds, or fund units on a blockchain. They do not escape securities law, even if they circulate on a crypto infrastructure. The SEC had already reiterated this line with its tokenized securities guidance. The new agenda now seeks to turn this doctrine into rules more usable by platforms, brokers, and custodians.
The issue goes beyond classic cryptos. If Wall Street adopts tokenization, the SEC will have to regulate markets capable of operating faster, sometimes longer, with new risks in settlement and custody.