Outlook on U.S. Cryptocurrency Regulation in 2026: SEC Advances Reforms, CFTC's Influence Rises

As the Trump administration enters its second year, the regulatory landscape for cryptocurrency in the United States is shifting. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) have moved from a jurisdictional tug-of-war to closer collaboration, jointly advancing cryptocurrency regulation. SEC Chairman Paul Atkins is promoting a "token classification system," Project Crypto, and an innovation exemption mechanism, and has approved various cryptocurrency ETF listing standards, while also prioritizing asset tokenization in regulatory focus.

The CFTC is accelerating rule clarification through "Crypto Sprint," and under the new chairman Michael Selig, it is expected to play a more central role in the regulation of cryptocurrency commodities like Bitcoin. Industry insiders believe that by 2026, U.S. cryptocurrency regulation will present a dual-track pattern of SEC institutional innovation + CFTC-led market expansion. Former SEC senior lawyer Howard Fischer pointed out that this is the first time he can recall the two agencies advancing cryptocurrency regulation in such a highly collaborative manner, and he anticipates that this cooperation will dominate the regulatory agenda in 2026.