The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) have a public event scheduled for January 27, 2026, between 10 and 11 a.m. ET.
The meeting will take place at the CFTC headquarters in Washington and will be open to people who want to turn up in person or join via livestream.
The main focus of the SEC-CFTC meeting
The meeting has been dubbed SEC – CFTC Harmonization: U.S. Financial Leadership in the Crypto Era. SEC Chairman Paul Atkins and CFTC Chairman Michael Selig are slated to discuss harmonization between the two agencies and their efforts to deliver on President Trump’s promise to make the United States the crypto capital of the world.
This harmonization is touted as important, especially since crypto assets often fall into gray areas between both agencies. In the past, that has led to confusion, overlapping enforcement and industry complaints about “regulation by enforcement.”
Now that both agencies have been united by the common goal of helping realize the POTUS’s goal, which is to make the US the crypto capital of the world, they are more willing to end the turf wars between them over who regulates crypto. That way, they can work towards creating a new reality, one where the US leads the crypto sector.
The event will feature Atkins and Selig. It will start with opening remarks from both men followed by a fireside chat/discussion moderated by journalist Eleanor Terrett.
The public will be allowed to spectate. The CFTC and SEC as allies are working towards a certain goal — to make the US the crypto capital of the world. They are signaling collaboration to reduce uncertainty, lower compliance burdens and encourage innovators on the home soil to prevent them from fleeing to jurisdictions with better offerings.
A cornerstone of Trump’s agenda is still stuck in Senate
Trump’s agenda to make the US the crypto capital of the world hinges on several factors. One of them is the passage of mature market regulation that will protect the interests of all involved while maintaining a suitable standard.
As far as market regulation is concerned, the US legislators have drafted two laws, one is the GENIUS Act, which has already passed, and the other is the CLARITY Act, which remains stuck in the Senate.
The CLARITY Act was introduced in the House in May 2025, and about two months later in July, it was passed by the House with bipartisan support. The bill aims to clear up years of regulatory uncertainty and undo the damage caused by regulation by enforcement, the stance the SEC had taken under Gary Gensler, which set the country back significantly and pushed innovators offshore.
It clearly divides the oversight between the SEC and CFTC to close the spot market gap which prevents either agency from having full authority to regulate nonsecurity crypto spot trading.
Unfortunately, unlike the GENIUS Act, this one is struggling to pass the Senate stage, a fact many officials think of hindering America in the global race.
“Every day without the CLARITY Act is a day we cede our competitive edge to other nations. We have the most pro-digital asset president in U.S. history—the stars are aligned. Let’s get this landmark legislation across the finish line and secure America’s leadership in crypto,” Lummis wrote on X today.
The Senate Banking Committee recently had to postpone a markup vote after Coinbase suddenly withdrew its support amid debates on elements of the Act like stablecoin yields, DeFi treatment and investor protection.
Despite the delays, some are still optimistic, with some citing a 40% chance it gets passed eventually, thanks to the pressure from the Trump administration.
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