Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Paul Atkins announced a new framework to address regulatory uncertainty surrounding the cryptocurrency market, while detailing efforts to limit the influence of controversial proxy advisors on corporate governance and stop American investments from funding China.
SEC Chairman Paul Atkins appeared on Fox Business’s ‘Mornings with Maria’ program with Maria Bartiromo to explain steps to clarify the definition of “security,” a long-standing issue within the cryptocurrency industry.
Atkins summed up the regulatory uncertainty the industry was experiencing by saying, “Unfortunately, the industry has been operating in a fog for several years. They haven’t really figured out what the SEC is looking for and how this new technology can fit in with our archaic rules that apply to paper filings and stocks.”
Sharing his vision for the classification of crypto assets, Atkins outlined a token classification system that divides digital assets into four main categories:
- Digital Commodities
- Digital Collectibles
- Digital Tools
- Tokenized Securities
Atkins’e göre, bu sınıflandırma sisteminin ilk üç kategorisi menkul kıymet değil. Yalnızca son kategori olan Tokenized Securities menkul kıymet tanımına giriyor.
This statement reiterates his earlier view that most crypto tokens traded today are not securities.
The SEC Chairman stated that the root cause of the regulatory confusion stems from the definition of an “investment contract,” a type of security. He noted that this definition has guided the industry since the emergence of cryptocurrencies a decade ago, but its origins lie in a 1946 Supreme Court case called Orange Grove.
Atkins said their work is based on the principle that the token itself does not always have to be a security, but can represent one.
He also added that a token may cease to be a security as the network becomes more decentralized.
Atkins stated that they will focus primarily on fundamental issues and cooperate with other regulatory bodies, including the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), to ensure clarity in the sector.
*This is not investment advice.