SEC adds tokenisation to 2027 examination priorities

• The US Securities and Exchange Commission has included tokenisation in its fiscal year 2027 examination priorities.
• The review will cover evolving market infrastructure and risks linked to tokenised securities and related developments.
• The SEC will use risk-based examinations to assess compliance and protect investors across US capital markets.

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has added tokenisation to its fiscal year 2027 examination priorities, placing digital asset infrastructure under regulatory scrutiny.

The priorities guide examinations across more than 34,000 registered firms, including investment advisers, broker-dealers and investment companies.

“Examinations are one of the Commission’s most important tools for promoting compliance with the federal securities laws and helping protect investors,” SEC Chairman Paul S. Atkins said in a statement.

The SEC identified evolving market infrastructure, including Treasury clearing reforms and tokenisation, as areas requiring heightened attention during the coming fiscal year.

The examination programme will also assess cybersecurity, customer information protection, anti-money laundering controls and trading practices at regulated firms.

The SEC said its priorities reflect market developments, investor concerns, examination findings and emerging risks across US capital markets.

The agency will continue reviewing compliance across registrants and may adjust its focus as new products, technologies and market events emerge.

The initiative places tokenisation among the market infrastructure issues receiving greater attention from US securities examiners in fiscal year 2027.