TL;DR:
- The SEC has formally incorporated digital assets as a key strategic priority in its draft plan for fiscal years 2026-2030.
- The agency seeks to clarify the classification of cryptocurrencies, blockchains, and tokenization, and to improve coordination with the CFTC.
- A 68-page report on digital asset classification establishes that the majority are not considered securities.
The SEC published its draft Strategic Plan for fiscal years 2026-2030, a 68-page document that places digital assets as a formal institutional priority for the first time in the agency’s history. The proposal covers objectives related to blockchain, tokenization, and crypto market infrastructure, and sets a clear regulatory horizon for the next four years.
The plan dedicates a full objective to digital assets and distributed ledger technology, placing it on par with traditional pillars such as investor protection, capital formation, and agency modernization. The new regulations will target tokenized financial products and asset settlement protocols built on blockchains, with the goal of making regulatory compliance predictable for companies and market participants.
Custody and Markets Are Also in the Crosshairs
The SEC also addresses services considered critical to the crypto ecosystem: institutional custody, exchange trading, and decentralized staking. According to the document, these services must operate under clear and well-established national regulation, without generating contradictory or excessive compliance requirements. The plan also contemplates that the technical infrastructure of digital markets be reinforced against potential cyberattacks, with greater security requirements for smart contracts and multi-signature wallet systems.
Another crucial point is the explicit recognition that the majority of digital assets do not qualify as securities, which reduces the legal uncertainty that has historically weighed on the industry for years.
SEC and CFTC: the Division of Power over the Market
The plan also addresses the longstanding jurisdictional dispute between the SEC and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). The document explicitly states that clarifying the jurisdictional boundaries between both agencies is part of the objective of building a unified regulatory framework. This delineation would allow U.S.-based companies to launch Web3 products without facing unexpected regulatory updates from either agency, reducing the complexities that institutional capital seeking on-chain market exposure must navigate.
