The SEC’s long-promised safe haven for cryptocurrencies will be introduced this month

The Securities and Exchange Commission said Tuesday that it plans to introduce long-awaited cryptocurrency rules as soon as this month, bringing the agency one step closer to creating a regulatory safe harbor for certain cryptocurrency-related activities in the United States.

The SEC’s updated agenda for 2026 has the rule pencil case in For a possible release in July, which will be followed by a period of public comment on the proposed policies.

The rules will govern the offer and sale of cryptoassets, and also include “certain exceptions and safe harbors” for different types of on-chain financial activity.

The agenda update represents the clearest sign yet that the SEC is preparing to formally unveil a proposal to regulate cryptocurrencies, which agency Chairman Paul Atkins has teased for months, and initially… He said It will be released in January.

The exemptions will give cryptocurrency companies assurance that activity in certain areas, such as tokenized securities and decentralized finance, or DeFi, will not trigger enforcement action from the SEC.

“To achieve President Trump’s goal of ensuring that the United States is the cryptocurrency capital of the world, we are embracing innovation to bring more products on-chain, setting clear rules of the road for raising capital using crypto assets, and providing clarity on how market participants hold and facilitate on-chain trading of tokenized securities,” Atkins said Tuesday in a statement.

In March, Chairman of the SEC He said There could be a safe haven for cryptocurrencies Apply to startups worth up to $5 million seeking to experiment with crypto assets in the first four years; For entrepreneurs who raise up to $75 million through investment contracts involving certain crypto assets; And for some crypto assets once their creators stop all basic management efforts.

Formerly Atkins Confirm The uncertain status of the Congress-passed Clarity Act — a sweeping bill that would legalize most cryptocurrency activities in the United States — has influenced the SEC’s rollout of its own cryptocurrency rules.

After more than a year of starts and stops, the Clarity Act faces a critical decision in the next few weeks in the Senate. Stakeholders broadly agree that if the bill is not passed by August, it is unlikely to become law this year, due to the approaching midterm elections in November.