SEC's Atkins Pushes Crypto Custody and Rulemaking After CLARITY Act Stalls in Senate - finance.biggo.com

The SEC is signaling a shift toward agency-led crypto policymaking as the CLARITY Act remains stalled in the Senate. According to reports, SEC Chair Paul Atkins is emphasizing custody and rulemaking as the primary path forward, rather than waiting on comprehensive market structure legislation from Congress.

Custody is central to this shift because it determines how digital assets are held, safeguarded, and segregated for clients. Clearer custody rules can affect which institutions are willing to offer crypto-related services and how existing products are structured. Rulemaking can also move faster than legislation, though it may be more vulnerable to legal challenges and changes in agency leadership.

For markets, the key takeaway is that regulatory direction may now come from the SEC rather than Capitol Hill. What to watch: the scope and timing of any custody proposals, whether they invite public comment, and how they interact with existing enforcement actions. Also worth monitoring is whether the CLARITY Act gains new momentum, since legislation would provide more durable rules than agency guidance alone.