Catenaa, Thursday, December 11, 2025- Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Paul Atkins said the agency will move quickly on its cryptocurrency agenda early next year as it prepares new exemptions, guidance and rule updates for digital assets.
He said several proposals advanced this year are nearly ready for release and will shape the SEC’s posture toward crypto projects and financial firms.
Atkins outlined plans for a time-limited regulatory break known as an innovation exemption.
The measure is intended to lower compliance costs for crypto and fintech ventures while they test products under controlled conditions.
He said the exemption could be published by late January if internal reviews remain on track.
The agency is also working on a token taxonomy that would help establish which digital assets fall under securities rules.
Atkins said progress on that plan now depends on lawmakers. Senators are trying to finalize a broad market structure bill to divide oversight between the SEC and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
Negotiators hope to move the bill through the Senate Banking Committee before year’s end, though recent talks have slowed.
Atkins’s approach differs sharply from that of former SEC Chair Gary Gensler, whose term was marked by enforcement actions against major crypto firms and disputes over the status of tokens.
Atkins said his goal is to replace that approach with clear guidance and updated rules that reflect the growth of digital assets.
He said the agency will adjust its plans once Congress decides how to frame federal oversight, adding that the coming months will reveal the scope of its new mandate.
