Chair Paul Atkins has identified crypto regulation as a priority on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) agenda in the Spring of 2025. The agenda is an indicator of a significant change in policy, as the agency is seeking to abandon enforcement-focused efforts and adopt more explicit rulemaking that would provide legal predictability to the digital asset industry.

Crypto Tops SEC’s Spring 2025 Agenda

This proposed rule change that directly targets crypto assets is on the Spring rule list at the SEC. The Rulemaking Division is developing new rules on the offering and sale of digital assets, potentially with exemptions and safe harbors. This move is meant to establish transparency within the regulatory landscape and instill investor and business confidence within the space.

The agency has also solicited opinions on the issue. Wintermute, a major market maker, already provided feedback to the Crypto Task Force on tokenized securities. Nevertheless, the SEC failed to specify when the rules would be finalized, merely emphasizing that the amendments are going to make a big impact in the crypto industry.

Regulatory clarity has been a priority since Chair Atkins assumed office, in line with the goal expressed by President Trump of making the United States a digital crypto hub. In July, Atkins introduced a project called Project Crypto, which was an effort to modernize securities regulation and take markets on-chain. This project highlights how the Commission has changed its policy toward proactive rather than reactive enforcement.

SEC Chair Paul Atkins Comments on Agenda

In a statement, Atkins highlighted that his agenda is to develop clear guidelines for issuing, holding, and trading crypto assets. He added that the Commission also needs to strive to ensure bad actors are out of the market without hampering innovation. According to him, “regulation should be smart, effective, and appropriately tailored within the confines of our statutory authority.”

The new approach marks a departure from the policies of former SEC Chair Gary Gensler, who often relied on lawsuits and enforcement actions against crypto firms instead of clear rulemaking. By contrast, Atkins’ strategy favors market certainty and defined rules of engagement.

The current administration has also taken steps to reduce legal friction with the industry. High-profile lawsuits against exchanges like Binance and Coinbase have been dropped. In addition, the SEC and Ripple recently ended their nearly five-year legal battle, with both parties withdrawing appeals. The Commission went so far as to waive the so-called Bad Actor rule on Ripple, indicating its desire to start afresh with the industry.