SEC outlines crypto, IPO rule overhaul agenda at Reagan economic forum

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Ashutosh Sureka

29.05.2026

SEC outlines crypto, IPO rule overhaul agenda at Reagan economic forum — SEC plans crypto overhaul

As the U.S. securities regulator reassesses its rulebook under Chairman Paul S. Atkins, the agency is signaling a broader shift toward lighter disclosure demands and a more accommodating stance on digital assets. Atkins says the SEC is pursuing changes ranging from crypto market modernization to easing the burden of being a public company, while also moving to rescind the prior administration's climate disclosure rule.

Highlights

SEC Chairman Paul S. Atkins announced at the 2026 Reagan National Economic Forum a regulatory shift prioritizing digital asset innovation and streamlined public markets oversight.
Through Project Crypto and closer CFTC coordination, the SEC clarified digital asset classifications, advanced a tokenization exemption, and proposed harmonizing onchain trading regulations.
SEC proposed easing disclosure rules, including flex reporting cadences and rescinding the prior climate rule, aiming to counter the 40% decline in U.S.-listed companies since 1994.

Regulatory reset centers on crypto and public markets

Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Paul S. Atkins said in remarks published by the Securities and Exchange Commission that the agency is repositioning its regulatory approach to better support capital formation, digital asset innovation and public market participation. Speaking at the 2026 Reagan National Economic Forum, Atkins framed the effort as a return to what he called the SEC's core mission of protecting investors, maintaining fair and efficient markets, and facilitating capital formation.

Atkins says the current Commission is working with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission through Project Crypto, a joint initiative aimed at updating rules to support markets moving on-chain. He says the SEC has recently provided clearer distinctions over which digital assets are treated as securities, and is also advancing an innovation exemption for tokenized listed securities while clarifying how onchain trading systems fit within existing regulation.

He also says the agency is trying to reduce jurisdictional uncertainty between regulators, arguing that fragmented oversight has discouraged innovation for years. Atkins describes closer coordination with CFTC Chairman Mike Selig as part of a broader harmonization effort intended to give market participants a clearer compliance path.

Disclosure burden and market access remain key themes

Atkins says disclosure obligations have expanded beyond what a reasonable investor needs, making it more costly and complex for companies to go public and remain listed. He argues that this has contributed to a long-term decline in the number of companies on U.S. exchanges, which he says has fallen by roughly 40% since he left the SEC staff in 1994 and returned as chairman more than a year ago.

To address that trend, Atkins says the SEC is moving to cut reporting and disclosure burdens, including through a recent proposal to let companies choose quarterly or semiannual reporting cadences. He adds that the agency last week advanced two additional rule proposals designed to recalibrate disclosure requirements and make it easier for companies to access public markets when conditions are favorable.

Atkins also announced that the SEC is proposing to rescind the previous administration's climate rule, calling it inconsistent with the agency's investor-focused mandate. He presents the broader agenda as an opening phase of reform rather than a final package, and says the Commission intends to continue revising rules with what he describes as rigor and restraint.

Our earlier coverage of Coinbase’s CFTC no-action relief explained how the exchange gained permission to offer Deribit futures to U.S. customers and accept crypto assets and stablecoins as margin, widening access to regulated derivatives. We also noted Coinbase’s plans for perpetual-style equity index futures and how regulatory clarity can act as a catalyst alongside still-mixed technical signals for COIN.

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