SEC Prepares Escape Hatch From Securities Registration for Crypto Projects
The SEC will meet Aug. 14 to consider proposing a new crypto rule that could let certain digital-asset projects raise capital without registering as securities. The planned framework would be the agency’s first durable, formal rule for the industry, building on Chair Paul Atkins’ push for a “Regulation Crypto Assets” approach centered on exemptions and a startup safe harbor. Under the concept, developers could raise funds and operate under SEC relief for a limited period, then move outside SEC jurisdiction once they are no longer actively managing the project. The move comes after the Senate failed to advance the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act before the August recess, leaving the SEC to fill part of the regulatory gap. Unlike recent staff statements on staking, airdrops, and mining, a formal rule would be harder to reverse and would outlast any single SEC chair. The agency is also working on a joint SEC-CFTC taxonomy for crypto assets.
