SEC, CFTC to Sign MoU on Crypto Oversight in Bid to Make America the Crypto Capital

U.S. regulators are taking steps to agree on the coordination of digital asset regulation, with the SEC CFTC MoU to outline the cooperation between the two regulators. This is part of the overall strategy to encourage the growth of the industry and strengthen the position of the U.S. in the global cryptocurrency market.

SEC CFTC MoU To Set Framework for Crypto Regulation

The report published by The Wall Street Journal highlighted that the SEC and the CFTC are planning to formalize their cooperation through the SEC CFTC MoU.  This will set the framework for crypto regulation.

SEC Chairman Paul Atkins said in an interview that crypto legislation is likely to advance this year. “In the long term, it’s better to have legislation,” Atkins said. “We can make do with our authority.” Notably, this development comes on the same day the regulators held a joint public event to address the harmonization of cryptocurrency market regulation. 

During the session, the two agencies will discuss how the SEC CFTC MoU will guide cryptocurrency market regulation. One of the issues the two bodies will address is jurisdiction. This is an issue that has been at the center of the dispute between the two regulatory bodies.

Ahead of the event, Atkins backed limited crypto exposure on 401(k) retirement plans. This came during a CNBC interview earlier today, in which he and CFTC chair Mike Selig discussed how they plan to collaborate to make the U.S. the crypto capital. 

How Regulators and Congress Are Aligning on Crypto

Regulators need to set clear borders, CFTC Chair Mike Selig said. He added that enforcement should be confined to its authorized mandates. Selig emphasized that market participants need the certainty of a lasting structure.

Atkins said the SEC might focus on a regulatory structure for tokenized securities. He said the CFTC would focus on digital assets treated as commodities. Cooperation, Atkins said, would help ensure no one is left to slip through the oversight cracks.

Both agencies said they are consulting with Congress about the CLARITY Act. Officials said the rules in the coming months were likely to align with any legislation passed. The goal is to avoid conflicts between regulatory action and statutory law.

These comments come just as the Senate Agriculture Committee advanced its portion of the crypto bill. However, the bill didn’t receive bipartisan support, as Republicans used their majority to advance it out of committee with a party-line vote of 12 to 11.

Meanwhile, the White House plans to meet with banking and crypto executives next Monday to resolve the clash over a provision that prohibits third-party crypto service providers from distributing yields to their customers. This ban on stablecoin yields was one of the reasons firms like Coinbase withdrew their support for the bill.