SEC Chairman Paul Atkins and CFTC Chairman Mike Selig spoke at the Bitcoin 2026 conference and effectively brought the positions of the two leading U.S. financial regulators into alignment. Both emphasized the need for interagency coordination in the digital asset space and made it clear that Washington’s approach to the crypto market is shifting.
Atkins stated directly that the SEC wants to keep cryptocurrency activity within the United States rather than pushing it into offshore jurisdictions. One outcome of the agencies’ joint work is new guidance on token classification, distinguishing between digital commodities, collectibles, and tokenized securities.
“We need a law that will stay relevant for this sector in the future. Nothing protects the market more reliably than clear statutory law written with new technologies in mind,” Atkins said.
Atkins also announced an “innovation exemption” — a mechanism that will allow crypto projects to build their businesses within clearly defined regulatory boundaries without falling into legal gray areas. Speaking about the Clarity Act, he suggested that progress on this package could come in May, with a possible vote in June, while noting there are no guarantees.
In the coming weeks, the SEC will launch an initiative enabling companies to test tokenized instruments on blockchain in a controlled environment within the framework of federal securities laws.
“Instant settlement reduces counterparty risk and frees up capital that is currently locked in back-office processes. We are working to support this, not stand in its way,” Atkins explained.
Selig, in turn, stressed that markets trading products with characteristics of both commodities and securities require a unified, coordinated framework rather than conflicting rules from two agencies. Token holders and developers need clear, legally enforceable rights instead of watching activity move to less regulated jurisdictions.
“Regulators need a coordinated system, not overlapping and conflicting rules. The market must have predictable conditions,” Selig said.