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Sec Chair Atkins Says Few Crypto Tokens Are Treated As Securities
GameFi Guides

SEC Chair Atkins Says Few Crypto Tokens Are Treated as Securities

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On Tuesday, August 19, 2025, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Paul Atkins said that a very small percentage of crypto tokens are treated as securities. Speaking at the Wyoming Blockchain Symposium, Atkins emphasized that the SEC is taking a fresh approach to digital assets, saying most tokens are not necessarily securities, financial instruments regulated under U.S. law.

“From the SEC’s perspective, we will plow forward on this idea that just the token itself is not necessarily a security,” Atkins said. “Very few, in my mind, tokens that are securities, but it depends on the package around it and how it’s being sold.”

Atkins’ comments mark a major shift from former SEC Chair Gary Gensler, who labeled the “vast majority” of crypto assets as securities under the Howey test, a legal standard used to determine if an investment qualifies as a security. 

Gensler resigned on January 20, 2025, paving the way for Atkins’ appointment, with Commissioner Mark Uyeda serving as Acting Chair in the interim.

Congress Pushes Crypto Market Rules

The remarks come as Congress moves to create clearer rules for digital assets. The House of Representatives passed the Digital Asset Market Clarity (CLARITY) Act in July 2025, a law designed to define and regulate U.S. crypto markets clearly. 

Senate Banking Committee Chair Tim Scott indicated bipartisan support for market structure legislation when the Senate returns from recess on September 2, 2025, noting as many as 18 Democrats could join Republicans in backing the bill.

Atkins also touched upon the Project Crypto initiative of the SEC, which is supposed to create regulatory frameworks to govern companies that trade in blockchain-based tokens, protecting investors without stifling innovation in the crypto market.

This direction is an indicator of a more discriminatory regulatory approach to digital assets, which gives clarity to businesses and investors who are trying to navigate the emerging U.S. crypto market.

Also Read: SEC Extends Review of Nine Crypto ETF Filings Into October



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Sec Chair Atkins Voices Support For Bitcoin &Amp; Crypto Self-Custody
Crypto Trends

SEC Chair Atkins Voices Support for Bitcoin & Crypto Self-Custody

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SEC Chairman Paul Atkins delivered a strong message today at the “DeFi and the American Spirit” roundtable in Washington, D.C.

His speech outlined some plans to make the United States a leader in crypto space – a vision that matches President Trump’s goal of turning America into the “crypto capital of the planet.”

🚨 JUST IN: SEC Chair Paul Atkins announces efforts to draft policy that would exempt DeFi platforms from certain regulatory hurdles.

“We recognize the innovation and want to ensure it thrives in the U.S.” pic.twitter.com/v45R7bRicx

— The Crypto Times (@CryptoTimes_io) June 9, 2025

Atkins said that decentralized finance, or DeFi, fits well with American values like freedom, rights to private property, and innovation. He explained what blockchain technology is: “a very creative and potentially revolutionary innovation that has us rethinking evidence of ownership and transfer of intellectual and economic property rights.”

“These are free market systems,” he said in his speech as he explained the openness and fair nature of the network.

Atkin took his time to criticize the previous administration for discouraging Americans from engaging with blockchain networks through lawsuits, regulations, and threats. Also for wrongly treating staking and mining as securities transactions.

He thanked the current staff for clarifying that “voluntary participation in a proof-of-work or proof-of-stake network as a ‘miner,’ ‘validator,’ or ‘staking-as-a-service’ provider is not within the scope of the federal securities laws.” However, he stressed, “It is not a duly promulgated rule with the force of law, so we cannot stop there.”na wee

The SEC Chair also gave his support for people to self-custody their crypto assets in personal digital wallets. “The right to have self-custody of one’s private property is a foundational American value that should not disappear when one logs onto the internet.” He said.

According to Atkin, the software developers who create these tools should also not be treated as brokers under securities law. Quoting a court, he said, “It would be irrational to hold the developer of a self-driving car liable for a third party’s misuse.”

As part of his remark, Atkins praised the resilience of on-chain software systems, which run automatically without central control and continued to operate during recent financial crises, unlike some centralized platforms. 

Also Read: SEC Warns Nigerians Against Investing in Punisher Coin $PUN





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GameFi Guides

Chair Paul Atkins Says It’s a ‘New Day’ for the SEC, Calls for ‘Rational’ Crypto Regulation

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In brief

  • SEC Chair Paul Atkins said Tuesday the agency will prioritize “clear rules of the road” for crypto.
  • He testified that investor protection and innovation require regulatory clarity.
  • But some lawmakers are pushing for the CLARITY Act to shift oversight away from the SEC.

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Paul Atkins is continuing on his crusade to bring a “new day” to the SEC and shift the agency’s stance toward digital assets. 

Testifying before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government on Tuesday, Atkins vowed to pursue a “rational regulatory framework” for crypto assets, prioritizing rulemaking and transparency over enforcement actions.

“Clear rules of the road are necessary for investor protection against fraud—not the least to help them identify scams that do not comport with the law,” he said.

“Policymaking will be done through notice and comment rulemaking, not through regulation-by-enforcement,” Atkins added.



Atkins, a veteran of the SEC, was confirmed in April after a lengthy and partisan nomination process.

His return marks a stark departure from the approach taken by his predecessor, Gary Gensler, whose tenure was marked by enforcement actions against crypto firms and a broad interpretation of securities laws that made him unpopular with the crypto industry.

Since Gensler’s exit, the SEC has dropped several high-profile lawsuits, first under interim chair Mark Uyeda and then under Atkins, and has issued guidance for multiple categories of crypto, including exempting certain staking activities from securities regulation.

The agency’s evolving posture comes amid growing momentum in Congress to strip the SEC of its authority over crypto altogether.

Last week, lawmakers introduced the CLARITY Act, which would amend securities laws to exempt most crypto assets from SEC jurisdiction and establish a new legal framework.

“Our bill secures American dominance, democratizes digital assets, unleashes innovation, and protects consumers from fraud,”Rep. Bryan Steil (R-WI), chair of the House’s Financial Services Subcommittee, said at the time.

Democratic staffers on the House Financial Services Committee have criticized the SEC for withholding an impact analysis of the bill, raising concerns that the proposal could create loopholes for traditional finance under the guise of blockchain adoption.

Atkins acknowledged the shifting legislative landscape but emphasized the role of the SEC’s new Crypto Task Force and upcoming DeFi roundtable in supporting innovation. 

“I anticipate benefits from this market innovation for efficiency, cost reduction, transparency, and risk mitigation,” he said.

Edited by Sebastian Sinclair

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