SEC takes proactive action and engages in industry dialogue, signaling a new shift in regulatory attitude

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Cryptocurrency Working Group will visit Miami on January 27 to engage directly with early-stage crypto project builders. This is not an ordinary meeting arrangement but a key signal reflecting a deep transformation in the U.S. crypto regulatory environment. Moving from previously aggressive enforcement to now proactively gathering industry opinions, this move by the SEC marks a fundamental change in policy-making approach.

Signals of a Shift in Regulatory Attitude

The SEC Cryptocurrency Working Group is currently touring multiple cities to collect feedback from project teams on policy reforms, aiming to establish a clearer regulatory framework for digital assets. This approach itself is noteworthy—whereas in the past, the SEC primarily expressed its stance on the crypto industry through enforcement actions, it now actively seeks to listen to market voices.

SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce stated that the working group will engage positively with the crypto industry to develop a clear digital asset regulatory framework. Peirce has long been an important supporter of the crypto industry within the SEC, and her remarks reflect the new SEC leadership’s serious attitude toward industry development.

What Does This Visit Mean

This Miami visit has several practical implications for early-stage crypto project builders:

• Opportunity to directly express demands: project teams can raise specific questions and suggestions regarding regulatory uncertainties
• Sense of participation in policy-making: industry voices will directly influence future regulatory framework design
• Gaining clarity: through communication with the working group, project teams can better understand regulatory red lines

The Larger Context Behind It

This shift is not isolated. According to the latest news, the SEC leadership has been completely replaced. Since the new Chair Paul Atkins took office, the agency has retreated from years of aggressive enforcement against the crypto industry, revoking almost all pending cases and withdrawing from multiple court lawsuits. Meanwhile, commissioners appointed by the Republican Party now fully control the SEC and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), providing a political foundation for a more friendly regulatory environment.

Wall Street is also responding rapidly to this change. Morgan Stanley has submitted documents to the SEC to apply for ETFs tracking Bitcoin and Solana prices. Goldman Sachs, in its reports, pointed out that the removal of regulatory uncertainty is a key driver for institutional adoption of crypto assets, and upcoming U.S. market structure legislation (such as the GENIUS Act) could serve as a critical catalyst.

Possible Directions for the Regulatory Framework

Based on this series of actions by the SEC, the future regulatory framework may develop along these directions:

Clear classification standards

Through dialogue with project teams, the SEC is seeking to establish clearer token classification standards, distinguishing security tokens from other digital assets.

Reasonable transition period arrangements

The working group’s visits to multiple cities to gather opinions indicate that the SEC is considering how to enable existing projects to transition smoothly under the new framework.

Industry-oriented regulatory thinking

Shifting from pure enforcement to policy formulation reflects the SEC’s beginning to consider crypto asset regulation from an industry development perspective.

Summary

The SEC’s proactive engagement with industry reflects a fundamental shift in U.S. crypto regulation from confrontation to cooperation. This is not just a change in attitude but also a deep structural and personnel adjustment. The January 27 Miami visit may seem like just a meeting, but it signifies the beginning of the regulatory framework development process—potentially of great importance to the industry’s long-term growth.

What to watch next is how the SEC will incorporate the opinions collected during these visits, when it will officially introduce new regulatory frameworks, and whether these frameworks can truly resolve the longstanding uncertainties troubling the industry.