The US 2026 crypto regulatory landscape may see a turning point as the SEC and CFTC deepen collaboration

Odaily Planet Daily reports that as the Trump administration enters its second year in office, the landscape of cryptocurrency regulation in the United States is undergoing significant changes. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is pushing forward with a more aggressive crypto regulatory agenda, while the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is playing an increasingly central role in the regulation of digital assets. The previous “regulatory turf war” between the two agencies has begun to ease. According to reports, CFTC Acting Chair has previously stated that the regulatory disagreements with the SEC have come to an end, and that future cooperation will be strengthened. Over the past year, the two agencies have jointly issued guidance on key areas such as spot crypto trading, 24/7 markets, perpetual contracts, and decentralized finance. Former SEC official and current partner at Moses & Singer law firm Howard Fischer noted that this is the most cooperative phase he has seen between the two major regulatory agencies.

In terms of specific actions, SEC Chair Paul Atkins introduced a “Token Classification System” and launched “Project Crypto,” aiming to systematically update digital asset regulation rules, while also promoting an “Innovation Exemption” mechanism to accelerate compliant crypto product deployment. The SEC has also approved certain listing standards for crypto ETFs and clarified that liquid staking and PoS staking activities do not constitute securities transactions. Additionally, tokenization has become one of the SEC’s regulatory focuses. Recently, a “No Action Letter” issued to custodial trust company DTC has been viewed by industry insiders as an important pilot signal for real-world asset tokenization.

Meanwhile, the CFTC is accelerating rule clarification through the “Crypto Sprint,” allowing exchanges to list regulated-approved spot crypto products and withdrawing some restrictive guidelines. New CFTC Chair Michael Selig is believed to promote a crypto regulatory framework led by the CFTC at the legislative level. Saga CEO Rebecca Liao stated that if the CFTC focuses on Bitcoin, which has been explicitly recognized as a commodity, it will have a significant positive impact on the entire crypto market.

The report also notes that both the SEC and CFTC currently face vacancies in their commissioner seats, but analysts believe this will not alter the overall trend toward collaborative and institutionalized crypto regulation by 2026. (The Block)