SEC prioritizes digital assets through 2030, seeks clearer rules

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission elevated digital assets and distributed ledger technology to a formal strategic priority in its draft Strategic Plan for fiscal years 2026–2030, published Tuesday.

The draft says the agency will seek a ‘firm regulatory foundation’ for digital assets using a rational, coherent and principled approach. The plan places digital assets alongside capital formation, investor protection and agency modernization.

It identifies tokenized offerings and on-chain financial infrastructure as areas where the SEC will promote compliant capital formation. The document says custody, trading and staking services should operate under appropriate oversight while avoiding duplicative or conflicting requirements.

A central element of the draft is clarification of jurisdictional boundaries between the SEC and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. The two agencies signed a memorandum of understanding in March to improve cooperation and information sharing, and the SEC describes further efforts to coordinate supervision and avoid regulatory overlap.

The draft notes ongoing congressional activity on digital assets, including the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, which advanced from the Senate Banking Committee last month and is expected to move to the Senate floor. The bill would expand CFTC authority over segments of the crypto market.

The plan does not set timelines for specific rule proposals. It lists tools the agency may use, including targeted rulemaking, guidance, enforcement and oversight frameworks for intermediaries, and coordination with other regulators.

Background documents that accompany the draft restate long-standing questions about how different tokens and services fit under existing securities laws and call for clearer definitions and standards to reduce legal uncertainty. The plan is open for public comment before it is finalized.

SEC Chair Paul Atkins wrote in a message included with the draft: “Blockchain and crypto asset technologies have the potential to revolutionize America’s financial infrastructure.”