U.S. SEC Releases 2026 Regulatory Agenda: Will Amend Rules for Crypto Exchanges and Brokers, Relax Corporate Filings

The regulatory iron curtain has completely fallen, ushering in an unprecedented easing for U.S. stocks and the crypto market! The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) officially released its 2026 regulatory agenda today (the 7th), led by current Chairman Paul Atkins. The new team not only plans to reduce compliance burdens for emerging companies and ease financial reporting requirements but also announced the development of new "clarifying rules" for crypto exchanges and broker-dealers.

(Previous Summary: Tokenization pioneer Securitize gets SEC green light: SPAC merger approved, set to list on NYSE as SECZ)

(Background Supplement: SEC Chairman Paul Atkins declares a "new day for the SEC": Five-year strategic plan prioritizes crypto for the first time)

Table of Contents

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• Paving the Compliance Path: Three Core Broker-Dealer Rules to Be Revised
• SEC Regulatory Era Showdown: Gensler's Iron Fist vs. Atkins' Tailored Approach
• Wall Street and Web3's Win-Win Honeymoon Period

The years-long "regulatory dark age" for the U.S. crypto industry has finally seen the dawn of a new day.

According to a major report by The Block published today (the 7th) at 2:00 PM EST, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has officially released its 2026 regulatory agenda. This document not only outlines the reform blueprint for the U.S. capital market in the coming year but also explicitly lists "resolving how crypto assets apply to traditional regulatory rules" as a major priority before the end of this year.

Paving the Compliance Path: Three Core Broker-Dealer Rules to Be Revised

In the newly released agenda, the SEC plans to provide clear road rules for the issuance, custody, and trading of crypto assets. Among the most substantive changes are revisions to rules for broker-dealers and exchanges. The specific rule changes proposed by the SEC include:

• Modify the minimum liquid capital rule for broker-dealers: Redefine the minimum liquid capital standards that broker-dealers must maintain when holding or trading crypto assets.
• Modify customer asset protection rules in bankruptcy: Clarify how to effectively isolate and protect customer crypto assets from harm when a broker-dealer faces bankruptcy liquidation.
• Modify recordkeeping rules: Tailor recordkeeping standards for crypto assets held by broker-dealers to account for the decentralized and immutable nature of blockchain.
• Consider proposing new exchange modification rules: Evaluate how to bring existing crypto trading platforms into compliance or incorporate new types of trading system frameworks.

In the agenda, the SEC emphasized: "This proposal is necessary to clarify the regulatory framework for crypto assets, provide greater certainty to the market, promote capital formation, accommodate innovation in the crypto asset market, while continuing to deter bad actors from breaking the law."

SEC Regulatory Era Showdown: Gensler's Iron Fist vs. Atkins' Tailored Approach

The release of this regulatory agenda symbolizes a complete reshuffling of the political and policy direction within the SEC. Since taking office a year ago, current Chairman Paul Atkins' moderate and innovation-friendly style stands in stark contrast to the era of former Chairman Gary Gensler:

| Comparison Item | | --- | Former Chairman Gary Gensler Era (Old Regime) | Current Chairman Paul Atkins Era (New Agenda) | | --- | --- | --- | | Core Regulatory Approach | Regulation by Enforcement | Establish clear rules, provide exemptions and "safe harbors" | | Position on Securities Definition | Argued that, aside from Bitcoin, the vast majority of cryptocurrencies are securities | In March of this year, jointly issued guidance with the CFTC, clearly stating that most cryptocurrencies are NOT securities | | Burden on Traditional Companies and Startups | Maintained high compliance costs, refused to grant licenses to crypto firms | Reduce compliance burdens for emerging companies, allowing them to report financials semi-annually instead of quarterly | | Industry and Lawmaker Feedback | Heavily criticized; excessive litigation led to multiple enforcement cases against crypto firms being dismissed by courts | Warmly welcomed by the market and Web3 industry, seen as helping guide institutional capital into compliance |

Wall Street and Web3's Win-Win Honeymoon Period

The release of this 2026 regulatory agenda not only provides a sigh of relief for crypto exchanges, broker-dealers, and the broader Web3 market but also offers a major gift for traditional U.S. stock market startups. Allowing emerging companies to switch from cumbersome quarterly reports to semi-annual financial reports will significantly reduce administrative costs for small and medium-sized enterprises, stimulating capital market activity.

Economic law experts commented that the SEC under Paul Atkins is attempting to rebrand the U.S. as a safe haven for global financial innovation. With the "uncertainty" boulder of regulation removed, top Wall Street institutions and broker-dealers can seamlessly integrate crypto assets into mainstream financial products without hesitation. From now on, cryptocurrencies in the U.S. will no longer be a gray area to be "hidden away" but will truly step into the mainstream as legitimate members of compliant balance sheets.