Quick Breakdown:
- SEC and CFTC issue joint statement supporting spot crypto trading on registered exchanges.
- Agencies aim to promote innovation, competition, and market participant choice.
- Initiative builds on Project Crypto, Crypto Sprint, and U.S. leadership in digital finance.
U.S. financial regulators are taking a major step to support innovation in digital assets. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) issued a joint statement clarifying that exchanges registered with either agency can facilitate trading of certain spot crypto products. The coordinated move highlights a commitment to expanding trading options while maintaining regulatory oversight.
Today the SEC and @CFTC issued a Joint Statement clarifying staff’s views that SEC- and CFTC- registered exchanges are not prohibited from facilitating the trading of certain spot commodity products: https://t.co/stsgiQTXjf
— U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (@SECGov) September 2, 2025
A Clearer Path for Crypto Innovation
SEC Chairman Paul Atkins called the announcement “a significant step forward in bringing innovation in the crypto asset markets back to America,” emphasizing that market participants should have flexibility in choosing where to trade spot crypto assets. Acting CFTC Chair Caroline Pham noted that the joint guidance reflects a departure from prior mixed messaging, signaling a broader effort to position the U.S. as a global hub for crypto markets.
The clarification aligns with the SEC’s Project Crypto and the CFTC’s Crypto Sprint initiatives, both designed to streamline digital asset oversight while fostering competition. By coordinating divisions, including the SEC’s Division of Trading and Markets and the CFTC’s Divisions of Market Oversight and Clearing and Risk, the agencies aim to provide exchanges with clear frameworks to offer spot crypto products safely and legally.
Encouraging Market Engagement
The statement encourages market participants to engage directly with SEC and CFTC staff to resolve questions or concerns, reflecting a collaborative approach to policy development. This guidance builds on recommendations from the President’s Working Group on Digital Asset Markets, which stressed the importance of strengthening U.S. leadership in digital financial technologies.
Notably, the SEC’s Crypto Task Force recently met with representatives from Payward, Inc., Kraken Securities LLC, and legal counsel from Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP to discuss the future of tokenized assets and the infrastructure needed for tokenized trading systems. The sessions signal ongoing regulatory engagement to ensure that innovation occurs within a secure and transparent framework.
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