SEC Drops Crypto Firm Registration: A Hilarious Twist in the Regulatory Saga

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has decided to abandon a proposal that would have required certain cryptocurrency firms to register as alternative trading systems (ATS).

Acting SEC Chairman Mark Uyeda announced on Monday that he has directed staff to drop this part of the 2022 plan, which had yet to be finalized. The proposal was initially designed for regulation of the Treasury markets but was subsequently broadened to cover crypto companies.

Uyeda stated that it was a mistake by the Commission to tie together regulation of the Treasury markets with a heavy-handed effort to suppress the crypto market.

The crypto industry also criticized the move, arguing that it would hurt innovation and create unnecessary regulatory hurdles.

Uyeda, in a speech to bankers, stated that it was a mistake to merge Treasury market regulations with an effort to crack down on the crypto sector. He believes these are separate issues and should be handled independently.

This move comes as part of a larger Crypto policy change during the Republican leadership of the SEC. Earlier, while under Democratic control, the agency had been quite aggressive in pushing for strict rules and filing lawsuits against cryptocurrency companies.

Now, the SEC has launched a crypto task force to review policies and has begun pausing or dismissing pending lawsuits against crypto companies.

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2025-03-10 22:46