The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is weighing a potential “innovation exemption” to accelerate the adoption of tokenized assets, signaling a possible shift in how the agency approaches blockchain-based financial infrastructure.
SEC Chairman Paul Atkins revealed the move on Thursday, highlighting the commission’s intent to support emerging digital markets without compromising regulatory standards.
SEC weighing innovation exemption from regulations to incentivize tokenization…
SEC Chair Paul Atkins: “Assets clearly are moving on chain. If it can be tokenized, it will be tokenized.”
*SEC Chair*
Read that again.
Hope you’re paying attention.
via @yashroy87 @ElleBeyoud pic.twitter.com/C675D5ihLv
— Nate Geraci (@NateGeraci) July 18, 2025
The announcement came shortly after the U.S. House passed three landmark crypto bills: the GENIUS Act, the CLARITY Act, and a new stablecoin framework. These legislative developments are reshaping the digital asset landscape, prompting the SEC to explore how its own regulations can evolve in parallel. According to Atkins, SEC staff are actively reviewing whether existing rules can be modified to support tokenized securities and experimental trading models.
As part of this review, one proposal under consideration is a narrowly tailored exemption that would give blockchain innovators more room to develop on-chain services without violating current securities laws. “Staff is considering what other changes may be appropriate to incentivize tokenization within our regulatory framework,” Atkins said, emphasizing the agency’s interest in flexible yet responsible oversight.
This move aligns with growing momentum in Washington to provide clearer guardrails for digital assets. By exploring conditional regulatory relief, the SEC aims to strike a balance between fostering innovation and ensuring investor protection. Atkins stressed that as more financial assets move on-chain, regulators must adapt.
“If it can be tokenized, it will be tokenized,”
he noted, underlining the irreversible trend toward decentralized infrastructure.
Earlier this month, Atkins described tokenization as the logical next step for modernizing global finance, citing its potential to increase efficiency and transparency. His latest remarks confirm that the SEC is now taking concrete steps to enable blockchain innovation, including infrastructure tailored for tokenized markets all while maintaining core principles of market integrity. During the SEC’s fifth Crypto Task Force roundtable, themed “DeFi and the American Spirit,” Atkins outlined the framework for the proposed exemption
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