The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has launched “Project Crypto” through a press release issued by Chair Paul Atkins to bring U.S. financial markets onto blockchain and allow real-world assets to be turned into digital tokens. The announcement follows the release of the President’s Working Group (PWG) report on digital assets.
According to Atkins, the goal is to modernize securities rules, attract innovation, and support President Trump’s plan to make America the “crypto capital of the world.” He confirmed that most crypto assets are not securities and promised clear rules for how tokens are regulated. “We must drive the digital asset revolution,” Atkins said. “The world is not waiting, and neither will we.”
The SEC will work with Commissioner Hester Peirce and the Crypto Task Force to draft simple and practical rules. These will include guidelines for crypto distributions, custody, tokenized securities, and digital asset trading. The Commission will also consider exemptive relief and innovation-friendly rules to help startups and existing businesses grow.
Notably, Project Crypto works alongside the new GENIUS Act, a law that sets clear rules for how stablecoins should be used and regulated in the U.S. It supports new legislation from the Senate Banking Committee that calls for rules around token registration, trading, and anti-money laundering.
The initiative also promises to bring back crypto firms that left the U.S. due to strict enforcement under past leadership. Atkins said the SEC will create space for both centralized and decentralized crypto systems, including automated DeFi tools and tokenized company shares.
A key focus will be allowing SEC-regulated platforms to list both crypto securities and non-securities. Atkins said a “super-app” could offer staking, trading, and lending under a single license. The SEC also plans to explore an “innovation exemption” to help new ideas launch faster without unnecessary red tape.
“The next chapter of financial innovation will be written right here in America,” Atkins said. The SEC will now begin drafting public proposals to implement the PWG’s roadmap, with public comment expected in the coming months.
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