SEC to weigh first formal crypto rulemaking on Aug. 14
Regulation & Gov ·
The commission has scheduled an open meeting to consider proposing "Regulation Crypto," a framework that could let digital-asset projects raise funds without full securities registration.
The Securities and Exchange Commission posted a Sunshine Act notice on Aug. 10 announcing a Friday session, set for 10 a.m. ET, where members will discuss releasing a tailored rule for certain digital-asset offerings, according to Decrypt. If the commission opens the release for public comment, it would mark the agency's first durable rulemaking on crypto rather than another guidance statement from staff.
The concept traces back to remarks from SEC Chair Paul Atkins earlier this year describing an exemption-based approach that could give developers a runway of roughly four years to build toward decentralization before facing registration duties. Under the design described by Decrypt, projects would be allowed to raise capital upfront, then exit SEC oversight once founders step back from active management — an arrangement the outlet characterizes as relief that only takes effect after builders relinquish control. The notice itself does not specify fundraising thresholds for the exemption.
The timing follows the Senate's departure for its August recess without moving the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act forward, a bill intended to establish market-structure rules for the industry. TD Cowen analyst Jaret Seiberg told clients the rulemaking should be read as the first of several the SEC is expected to pursue to supply regulatory certainty now that the Clarity Act has stalled, a view reported by CoinDesk. Separate coverage from The Block points to a possible token safe-harbor framework as part of the same TD Cowen analysis ahead of the meeting.
Other reporting on the cluster frames Friday's session as the potential launch point for a broader rulemaking process, with a safe-harbor structure for token offerings as one likely starting piece, according to tracking from Leviathan News. The SEC is also continuing work on a joint asset taxonomy with the CFTC to divide jurisdiction between the two regulators, and the Clarity Act retains a narrow window for possible action next month; a prediction market run by Decrypt's parent company currently shows just 22% odds the bill passes this year.
What remains unresolved is whether the commission actually votes to open the proposal for comment on Friday, what specific fundraising caps or timelines the exemption would carry, and how a completed rule would interact with any later congressional action on market-structure legislation. A final rule, if pursued, is still described as months away.