SEC crypto rule shift heads to White House

The US Securities and Exchange Commission has sent a proposal to the White House to redefine how federal securities laws apply to crypto assets, marking a potential shift in regulatory approach.

The proposal, now under review by the Office of Management and Budget, includes an interpretative notice outlining which digital assets may not be treated as securities under existing laws.

The SEC said the framework would create a “coherent token taxonomy” covering categories such as digital commodities, digital tools, digital collectibles including NFTs, and stablecoins.

If adopted, the change could significantly alter how the agency enforces rules across the crypto sector, reducing regulatory uncertainty for certain asset classes.

The proposal is intended as an interim solution while Congress works toward passing broader market structure legislation to define comprehensive crypto regulation.

The SEC’s move follows a memorandum of understanding with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, signalling closer coordination between US regulators on digital asset oversight.

Meanwhile, progress on the CLARITY Act remains uncertain, despite reports of a preliminary agreement on stablecoin provisions, as lawmakers prioritise other legislative agendas.