TLDR:
- SEC unveils “Project Crypto” to create clear rules for tokens, stablecoins, and digital finance.
- Plan supports tokenized stocks and bonds, bridging crypto and traditional markets on U.S. soil.
- Initiative includes innovation exemptions to ease compliance for emerging crypto business models.
- SEC aims to reclaim U.S. leadership in digital finance through clear and competitive regulation.
The United States wants crypto back. SEC Chairman Paul S. Atkins just announced “Project Crypto,” a sweeping plan to overhaul digital asset rules. The move comes as lawmakers push for a clear framework to keep crypto firms from fleeing overseas.
Atkins said the SEC will not sit back while other nations set the pace. Instead, the goal is to build the world’s most competitive crypto market in America.
SEC Chairman Introduces “ Project Crypto”
Atkins outlined the initiative during a speech in Washington, calling it a turning point. He tied the plan to President Trump’s GENIUS Act, which lays the groundwork for stablecoin regulation. According to Atkins, this is not just about rules. It is about pulling crypto activity back onshore and ending the confusion around outdated policies that drove firms abroad.
The SEC intends to create clear definitions for digital assets. That means sorting tokens into categories like securities, commodities, or stablecoins. Atkins said this approach would remove the guesswork that has slowed U.S. innovation for years.
Project Crypto also focuses on tokenization. The SEC plans to allow companies to issue tokenized stocks and bonds inside the United States. Atkins added that even traditional Wall Street firms are ready to explore this shift if the rules allow it.
The plan goes further. It opens the door for trading both securities and non-securities on the same regulated platforms. This change could let crypto and traditional markets finally operate side by side under a single structure.
Innovation Without Roadblocks
Custody is another priority. The SEC wants investors to choose how they hold their assets, whether through self-custody or regulated intermediaries. Atkins also called for “innovation exemptions” to let new business models launch without getting trapped by outdated compliance hurdles.
DeFi is not being left out. The SEC aims to carve out space for decentralized systems to exist within U.S. markets. This means developers could operate without unnecessary intermediaries while still following clear rules.
Atkins made it clear: the United States will not play catch-up. Project Crypto is designed to make the country the center of digital finance. Now, the industry is waiting for the first draft of those rules.
