🤯 SEC Chair Declares Most Tokens Aren’t Securities, Hails Crypto “Super-Apps” 🚀

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Well, well, well. If you’ve been holding your breath waiting for the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to finally say something halfway reasonable about crypto, congratulations-you can exhale now. 😌 SEC Chair Paul Atkins has officially declared that “most crypto tokens are not securities.” Yes, you read that right. It’s like spotting a unicorn in a regulatory forest.

During a keynote address at the OECD Roundtable in Paris-because of course it was Paris-he announced, “It is a new day at the SEC.” 🌞 And by “new day,” he means they’re swapping out their old playbook of smacking crypto firms with ad hoc enforcement actions for something slightly less medieval: clear rules. Imagine that! Clarity in regulation. What a concept. He even promised innovators could “thrive in the United States,” which sounds almost suspiciously optimistic coming from someone who works in government.

Enter Project Crypto, the SEC’s shiny new initiative to drag its dusty securities regulations into the blockchain era. Apparently, the President’s Working Group on Digital Asset Markets has already handed over a “bold blueprint” for this mission. Bold? From bureaucrats? Who knew they had it in them? 😏

The Rise of the Super-App (No, Not That Kind)

Here’s where things get interesting-or at least as interesting as anything involving regulators can be. The SEC is now warming up to the idea of crypto “super-apps,” platforms where you can trade, lend, stake, and probably order pizza all under one roof. 🍕 Okay, maybe not pizza, but you get the idea. These platforms would also have the flexibility to offer multiple custody solutions, because apparently, even regulators understand that no one wants their digital assets locked away in some bureaucratic dungeon.

Atkins summed it up nicely when he said, “I believe regulators should provide the minimum effective dose of regulation needed to protect investors, and no more.” Bravo, sir. Truly groundbreaking stuff. It’s almost as if treating entrepreneurs like human beings instead of lab rats might actually work. 🙌

And just to keep things international, Atkins gave a nod to Europe’s MiCA framework, calling it a “comprehensive digital assets regime.” Clearly, he’s been reading up on his Tocqueville, because he ended his speech with a call for global cooperation to “extend the sphere” of freedom and prosperity. Inspirational stuff, really. Cue the standing ovation. 👏

Meanwhile, Across the Pond…

While the SEC is busy trying to make America great again for crypto, Europe is taking a slightly different approach. Last month, the European Banking Authority (EBA) decided banks need to tighten their belts when it comes to unbacked cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ether. Under the new rules, these assets fall into “Group 2b,” carrying a whopping 1,250% risk weight. Translation: Banks better have deep pockets-or very few Bitcoins. 💼📉

Of course, not everyone is playing along with Europe’s conservatism. In the US, the FDIC now lets supervised banks dive into crypto activities without needing a permission slip first. Meanwhile, Switzerland is flexing its crypto-friendly muscles with updated DLT laws supporting custody and stablecoin guarantees. Ah, Switzerland-the land of chocolate, watches, and apparently, sensible crypto policies. 🇨🇭

So there you have it. One part of the world is loosening up, another is clamping down, and somewhere in between, regulators are quoting Tocqueville while dreaming of super-apps. Welcome to the wild, wacky world of crypto regulation. 🎢

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2025-09-10 15:26