- SEC Chair Paul Atkins says the agency’s proposed crypto framework is designed to work alongside the CLARITY Act and help bring digital asset innovation back to the U.S.
- The Senate is scheduled to vote on the CLARITY Act on Sept. 15, and Atkins said he hopes the bill ultimately reaches President Donald Trump for signature.
- Atkins said the SEC can move forward under existing authority, but congressional legislation is still needed to make the framework more durable over the long term.
SEC Chair Paul Atkins says the agency’s proposed crypto regulatory framework represents its biggest step yet toward making the United States a more competitive market for digital assets.
Speaking in an interview with Mornings with Maria, Atkins said the proposal is consistent with the CLARITY Act and is intended to reverse years of regulatory uncertainty that pushed crypto companies and developers offshore.
He argued that U.S. investors already have the ability to move capital globally through the internet, making it important for the country to provide a legal framework that allows innovation and fundraising to happen domestically instead.
SEC Proposal Works Alongside CLARITY Act
Atkins said the agency’s proposal includes exemptions related to fundraising and other activities and was structured to complement the CLARITY Act rather than replace it.
The SEC is currently accepting public comments so it can continue moving the rulemaking process forward while Congress considers the legislation.
The Senate is scheduled to vote on the CLARITY Act on Sept. 15. Atkins said he hopes lawmakers approve the bill and eventually send it to President Trump for signature.
SEC Can Move Without Congress
Atkins also said the SEC has authority under existing securities laws to advance parts of the framework even if Congress fails to pass the CLARITY Act.
That could include exemptions for certain fundraising activities and other regulatory relief designed to give digital asset companies clearer rules.
However, he cautioned that agency action alone is not enough to create a permanent framework.
Future SEC commissions could change or reverse regulations through the normal notice-and-comment process, making congressional legislation important for long-term certainty.
Atkins Wants Lasting Crypto Rules
Atkins said the goal is to get the new framework adopted and used by the industry so that consistent practices can develop around it.
But he stressed that statutory backing from Congress would ultimately make those rules more stable and sustainable.
For the crypto industry, the Sept. 15 Senate vote now represents a major test. If the CLARITY Act advances, it could give the SEC’s regulatory push stronger legal grounding and reduce the risk that future administrations unwind the current approach.
