SEC Chair Paul Atkins Launches Presidential Working Group on Digital Assets

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is entering a new chapter in crypto regulation. Its chairman, Paul Atkins, has announced the creation of a Presidential Working Group on Digital Assets, designed to lay the foundation for modern, more flexible rules for the American crypto market. Atkins unveiled the plan at a blockchain symposium in Wyoming, where he introduced an initiative called Project Crypto. He emphasized that the SEC wants to move away from “regulation through enforcement,” a long-standing point of contention.

End of the Heavy-Handed Era: Toward Flexible Crypto Rules According to Atkins, the new group will build on the Presidential Working Group on Digital Assets policy plan released in July and work closely with the White House. The goal is to strike a balance between investor protection and fostering innovation. “Only a very small number of tokens are truly securities. What matters is not what the token represents, but how it is packaged, marketed, and sold,” Atkins declared. This marks a sharp departure from the approach of his predecessor, Gary Gensler, who argued that most cryptocurrencies should be treated as securities—an interpretation critics say pushed innovation overseas. The new direction aims to make it easier for developers and startups to launch projects in the U.S. without the constant threat of regulatory crackdowns or lawsuits.

Practical Changes: Exemptions, Safe Harbors, and New Standards Atkins outlined that the SEC will introduce: Individual exemptions for companiesSafe harbors to protect developers from excessive oversightNew disclosure rules to replace outdated one-size-fits-all regulations

These measures would apply to a wide range of activities—from ICOs and airdrops to staking rewards and decentralized app development. The intent is not to allow a free-for-all, but to create a structured environment that encourages innovation while safeguarding investors.

Backing from Venture Capital and the Crypto Community Venture capital firms such as Andreessen Horowitz and advocacy groups like the DeFi Education Fund have been pressing the SEC for exemptions to shield developers from enforcement risks. They argue that without safe harbors, projects will continue to migrate abroad. Atkins responded positively: the SEC is ready to listen to industry feedback. However, he stressed that permanent legal certainty can only come from Congress. Enforcement, he said, should focus squarely on fraud and abuse, not legitimate projects.

The Biggest Regulatory Shift in Years? If fulfilled, these promises—and the partnership between the SEC and the Presidential Working Group—could represent the most significant change in U.S. financial regulation in decades. Atkins insists the goal is to ensure the U.S. remains a hub for digital asset innovation, rather than driving projects offshore. With President Trump’s backing, the SEC now has a mandate to design a framework that could define the future of the entire crypto industry.

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