WASHINGTON, March 19, 2026 — U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Paul S. Atkins said Thursday in prepared remarks that the agency’s newly issued crypto-asset interpretation represents “a beginning, not an end.”
Speaking at the SEC Speaks conference in Washington, Atkins outlined a regulatory framework centered on advancing, clarifying and transforming existing rules, including the Commission’s approach to digital assets.
“At the core of our efforts,” Atkins said, “every rule that we propose, every interpretation that we release, and every institutional reform that we undertake” will align with a three-part strategy focused on updating rules, clarifying regulatory scope and reducing unnecessary burdens.
A-C-T strategy frames crypto policy direction
Atkins said the SEC’s approach is organized around an “A-C-T” strategy — advance, clarify and transform — aimed at modernizing regulatory frameworks and addressing gaps between existing rules and evolving market structures.
Within that framework, the SEC’s recent crypto-asset interpretation — issued earlier this week and joined by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission — sets out how federal securities laws apply to digital assets and related activities.
While describing the interpretation as a step forward, Atkins emphasized that additional work remains.
“As I said earlier this week, while the interpretation provides long-needed clarity, it amounts to a beginning, not an end,” he said.
Shift away from enforcement-led approach
Atkins said the SEC previously addressed digital asset markets “not through the issuance of rules but through the might of our enforcement apparatus,” and said innovation developed outside the United States during that period.
He said advancing new regulatory frameworks would require rules that are “clear enough to guide markets, flexible enough to accommodate innovation, and firm enough to protect investors.”
SEC–CFTC coordination highlighted
Atkins also pointed to closer coordination with the CFTC as part of efforts to clarify regulatory jurisdiction in digital asset markets.
He referenced a memorandum of understanding between the agencies aimed at aligning definitions, coordinating oversight and facilitating data sharing.
The joint SEC–CFTC crypto interpretation, he said, is among the first outcomes of that coordination.
Broader rulemaking pipeline underway
Beyond crypto assets, Atkins said the SEC is preparing a “robust pipeline of rulemaking” for the year ahead, including efforts to modernize legacy requirements, streamline compliance obligations and reassess disclosure standards.
He said the Commission is also directing enforcement resources toward cases involving fraud, market manipulation and investor harm, rather than technical violations.
The remarks were delivered as part of the annual SEC Speaks conference, where Commission officials outline policy priorities and regulatory initiatives.
