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SEC announces sweeping overhaul of regulations and disclosure requirements: 'A new day'

"The items on the agenda represent the commission's renewed focus."

"The items on the agenda represent the commission's renewed focus."

Photo Credit: iStock

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission has recently unveiled a new rulemaking agenda that is meant to overhaul cryptocurrency regulations and reduce the compliance requirements for public companies. 

In a nutshell, the SEC plans to upgrade its rules to make cryptocurrency regulations easy to follow. It also wants to cut down on some of the reporting and paperwork that publicly traded companies are required to file.

Announced on Sept. 4, the agenda signals a sharp policy shift under SEC chair Paul Atkins, who called it "a new day at the Securities and Exchange Commission."

The SEC plans to propose new rules governing the offer and sale of digital assets and possibly introduce exemptions for crypto farms.

"The items on the agenda represent the commission's renewed focus on supporting innovation, capital formation, market efficiency, and investor protection," Atkins said in a statement to Reuters.

The agency also plans to clarify how broker-dealer rules apply to cryptocurrency operations and explore amendments that would permit crypto trading on national securities exchanges and alternative trading systems.

These moves could open the door for broader integration of digital assets with traditional finance, which is something that the crypto industry has long desired.

This change reflects the current political landscape. President Donald Trump has branded himself as a "crypto president" and has embraced digital assets as a whole. This isn't usually the case with past presidents, as under President Joe Biden, the SEC pursued aggressive legal action against major crypto exchanges, including Coinbase and Binance.

One of the biggest gray areas around cryptocurrency is its environmental impact. The energy-heavy mining processes associated with cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin have faced backlash because of their substantial carbon pollution.

At the same time, the sector is actively experimenting with cleaner technologies, including renewable-powered mining and blockchain projects. 

There is potential for the SEC's regulatory approach to influence how these greener practices evolve and encourage climate-friendly innovation.

What do you think the future of cryptocurrency is?

It is the future of currency 😎

It will become more mainstream 🤑

It will never be mainstream 😒

It will fade away completely 🙅

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