SEC Chairman stresses clear priorities for cryptocurrency regulation

Paul S. Atkins, chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), reiterated the key points of his speech at the inaugural OECD Global Financial Markets Roundtable. Atkins highlighted the clear priorities of the SEC in the cryptocurrency space and emphasized the need to ensure the secure state of crypto assets. He said most crypto tokens are not securities and the SEC will clearly define these boundaries. Atkins pointed out that blockchain technology is changing transaction and settlement processes, and artificial intelligence is opening up new avenues for financial intermediaries. He describes a system in which autonomous AI agents are able to execute transactions, allocate funds and manage risks at a speed that exceeds humans, and that securities law compliance is embedded in its code. The potential benefits of this integration include faster market operations, lower costs, and wider access to strategies that were once exclusive to major Wall Street companies. By combining artificial intelligence with blockchain, individual capabilities can be enhanced, competitiveness can be enhanced and new prosperity can be opened. The SEC is determined to seize the opportunities these advances bring.