US Securities and Exchange Commission chair Paul Atkins and crypto task force head Hester Peirce said they would support efforts to clarify how tokenised securities interact with existing regulation, aiming to better position digital asset developers.
Speaking at ETHDenver, the pair addressed recent cryptocurrency volatility and outlined how the agency plans to approach digital asset oversight as Congress weighs potential market structure legislation.
“As regulators, the best thing we can do is to ensure that the rules governing the asset classes we regulate enable people to have the information they need to express their market sentiments through decisions about whether to buy, sell, or hold the assets at issue,”
Atkins said.
The comments came as bitcoin and ether prices have fallen more than 28% and 40% respectively over the past 30 days, heightening scrutiny of how regulators respond during periods of market stress.
Although neither commissioner directly commented on pending legislation, Peirce said the SEC had “provided technical assistance” on a bill known as the CLARITY Act, which passed the House in July and is now moving through the Senate.
If enacted, the legislation could shift much of the SEC’s authority over digital assets to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, potentially reshaping the balance of power between US financial regulators.
Meanwhile, the CFTC remains understaffed despite the Senate confirmation of Michael Selig in December, leaving him as the sole commissioner at an agency designed to have five members as lawmakers debate provisions that could require at least four confirmed commissioners before new rules take effect.
At the time of reporting, Bitcoin price was $66,963.72.