How the SEC’s Revised 2025 Plan Could Streamline Crypto Oversight

Key takeaways

• For years, US crypto companies have operated under the overlapping rules of the SEC, CFTC, FTC and FinCEN. The revised plan for 2025 demonstrates Washington’s intention to build a more flexible and structured framework, tailored to digital assets.

• The SEC is moving toward a model focused on innovation, capital formation, market efficiency and investor protection. This marks a recognition that cryptography requires dedicated rules rather than adaptations of old regulations.

• The plan may lead to exemptions, safe harbor rules, DLT-specific transfer agent rules, and changes to crypto market structure. These steps could help integrate digital assets into traditional market infrastructure.

• The success of the plan will depend on coordination among agencies and international alignment among regulatory agencies. Rigorous enforcement could encourage other jurisdictions to adopt more consistent global crypto standards.

Since its early years, the American cryptocurrency industry has evolved in an unclear regulatory environment. Different agencies, such as the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), and Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), have neglected different aspects of the crypto ecosystem. In this scenario, crypto companies struggled to determine what was allowed and what was not.

The SEC’s revised plan for 2025 is likely to usher in positive change. This suggests that Washington, DC is seeking a more flexible regulatory framework that streamlines crypto oversight while supporting innovation.

This article discusses the possible outcomes of the plan, its key points, the benefits it may bring, and the risks it might entail. It also explores how the plan can influence the crypto ecosystem worldwide.

Why the SEC’s Revised 2025 Plan Matters

Cryptocurrency has evolved well beyond its early speculative phase. Digital tokens are now traded on major platforms, institutional investors are allocating funds to them, and tokenization is gradually entering traditional finance. In a rapidly evolving crypto landscape, regulations are always trying to catch up.

The SEC’s new program reflects a change in approach. It emphasizes innovation, capital management, market efficiency and investor protection. This shows that the SEC recognizes that cryptocurrencies require adapted rules rather than adaptations of existing ones.

Industry representatives highlighted the lack of clear compliance guidelines and conflicting interpretations of existing rules. They also highlight the tendency to prioritize application over direction. The SEC’s 2025 Agenda includes initiatives that address many of the industry’s concerns.

Did you know? After the Mount Gox stock market collapse in 2014, Japan became the first major economy to pass a dedicated crypto law in 2017. Japan officially recognized Bitcoin (BTC) as a legal means of payment and encouraged stock exchanges to adopt security standards at the banking level.

Key elements of the SEC 2025 plan

This comprehensive agenda outlines key areas and initiatives that the SEC will pursue to protect investors:

New rules for issuing and selling digital assets

The SEC intends to establish clear guidelines for the issuance of digital assets, which may include exemptions or safe harbor provisions for token projects. This would help determine when a token is considered a security, when it is not, and what information issuers must provide. For startups, such clarity would reduce the uncertainty surrounding token launches.

Authorization for crypto trading on national securities exchanges

The SEC is considering changes that would allow digital assets to be traded directly on registered national exchanges and alternative trading systems. These potential changes aim to bring crypto assets closer to the regulated infrastructure used for traditional stocks, improve oversight, strengthen investor protections, and reduce reliance on less regulated offshore platforms.

Simplified disclosure requirements

The plan aims to streamline and modernize disclosure and compliance obligations for publicly traded companies, including those involved in digital assets. This would reduce administrative burdens for cryptocurrency-focused and traditional businesses and encourage wider adoption.

Clearer rules for crypto intermediaries

Brokers, custodians and trading platforms have operated under uncertain regulatory requirements. The new program aims to clarify how existing rules for securities intermediaries apply to cryptocurrency activities. This would allow more financial institutions, banks, and fintech companies to offer crypto-related services with greater confidence.

Streamlining Disclosures and Reducing the Compliance Burden

The SEC intends to provide a framework to streamline disclosures. The agency’s primary role is to establish disclosure standards designed to improve clarity and mitigate risk for investors. With the revised plan, the agency aims to reduce the compliance burden for public companies, particularly regarding shareholder proposals.

The following table provides a brief overview of the SEC’s revised plan for 2025:

Benefits of the SEC’s Revised 2025 Plan

The SEC’s 2025 Plan aims to strengthen protections for individual investors, promote fair competition for issuers and financial institutions, and strengthen the integrity and efficiency of capital markets.

• For cryptocurrency startups: Clearer regulations could reduce legal risks and speed up product development. They would allow businesses to stay in the United States and grow rather than relocate overseas.

• For traditional financial institutions: Banks and asset managers would benefit from regulated pathways to participate in digital assets while remaining fully compliant.

• For investors (individuals and institutional): Investors would benefit from better information disclosures, safer trading platforms and more consistent monitoring of platforms. The plan could reduce risks such as hidden leverage or manipulative trading practices.

• For regulators and markets: A more unified approach would reduce overlap between agencies. This would strengthen market surveillance and align cryptocurrency regulation with established financial safeguards.

Did you know? Swiss regulators classify tokens based on their economic function as payment, utility or asset, the same way farmers classify livestock. This approach has helped Switzerland become one of the world’s leading hubs for symbolic innovation.

Outstanding issues, risks and potential global impact

Although the SEC’s revised plan for 2025 appears promising, its success depends on several factors. For example, it remains to be seen whether U.S. agencies can coordinate effectively with regulators in other countries, given the global nature of cryptocurrencies.

The SEC will need to strike an appropriate balance between promoting innovation and protecting investors. This balance will determine whether Agenda 2025 will be a success or remain a statement of intent.

If the plan does not produce tangible results, market participants will continue to face uncertainty. The United States could lose its innovation to other countries and jeopardize its leadership in digital asset financing.

When the United States updates its regulatory framework, other countries take note. Clearer rules in the United States will encourage similar regulatory changes in the European Union, the United Kingdom and Asia and promote international cooperation. This will lead to more consistent global standards for stablecoins, tokenization and custody.

The SEC’s 2025 regulatory agenda marks a significant shift toward replacing uncertainty with structure. If the proposed measures are successful, the United States could enter a new phase in which cryptocurrency regulation supports responsible development and investor protection.