The SEC turned more crypto-friendly, but markets wanted congressional rules, not agency signals alone. Here is why traders stayed cautious.The SEC turned more crypto-friendly, but markets wanted congressional rules, not agency signals alone. Here is why traders stayed cautious.

SEC Crypto Clarity Still Needs Congress to Matter

2026/03/22 13:15
4 min read
For feedback or concerns regarding this content, please contact us at [email protected]

The SEC shifted toward a more crypto-friendly posture in 2025, launching roundtables and signaling clearer rules. But the broader market barely flinched, and the reason is straightforward: traders wanted durable legislation from Congress, not just warmer signals from a single agency.

What the SEC actually clarified in 2025

SEC Chair Paul Atkins set a new tone in remarks delivered on April 25, 2025, telling attendees that “market participants engaging with this technology deserve clear regulatory rules of the road.” The statement marked a visible departure from the enforcement-first approach that had defined the agency’s prior years.

The SEC’s Crypto Task Force backed those words with process, launching a public roundtable series branded as a “Spring Sprint Toward Crypto Clarity.” The sessions zeroed in on whether the existing broker-dealer and custody framework needed tailoring for digital assets, a question the agency had previously left to enforcement actions rather than open discussion.

This was a genuine shift in posture, not a cosmetic one. But it was also limited. Atkins himself acknowledged the agency would need to work with Congress and the administration on a “rational, fit-for-purpose regulatory framework,” signaling that SEC guidance alone could not settle the full picture. For an industry that had spent years navigating regulation-by-enforcement, improved clarity was welcome, but it was not the finish line.

Why traders still wanted Congress, not just the SEC

Agency guidance can be reversed by the next administration. Statute is harder to undo. That distinction explains why SEC friendliness alone did not trigger a broad repricing of crypto assets, much like how geopolitical shocks have moved Bitcoin more decisively than policy signals in recent months.

The real market-structure question sat in Congress. The CLARITY Act of 2025 (H.R. 3633), introduced on May 29, 2025, aimed to divide oversight between the SEC and CFTC, addressing the jurisdictional ambiguity that had plagued the industry for years. The bill passed the House on July 17, 2025, by a vote of 294-134, then was referred to the Senate Banking Committee on September 18, 2025.

CLARITY Act House Vote
294-134
The House approved the bill by a wide margin, reinforcing that Congress, not just the SEC, was central to durable crypto-rule clarity.
Source: Congress.gov

Industry voices were explicit about the gap. Tiffany Smith testified that “congressional intervention is necessary to create a comprehensive and clear regulatory framework for digital assets.” Bill Hughes put it more bluntly: “Durable clarity on the law is what we need today.” Both statements appeared in the House committee report backing the CLARITY Act.

The SEC-versus-CFTC jurisdiction split was the core unresolved problem. Without legislation defining which tokens fall under which regulator, projects and exchanges still faced conflicting interpretations. That uncertainty, not hostility from the SEC, was what kept institutional capital cautious. The dynamic mirrors broader macro hedging behavior where traders wait for structural catalysts rather than reacting to sentiment shifts.

Related articles

Bitcoin Hedge Thesis Grows as Fed Holds, Inflation Rises

Bitcoin Falls Below $69K After Trump Iran Threat Shakes Markets

What the headline gets wrong about market apathy

Framing this as “the market didn’t care” overstates what the evidence supports. No event-study dataset of price action, trading volume, or fund flows tied specifically to the SEC announcements was available to prove or disprove that claim.

What the evidence does support is a more precise conclusion: SEC clarity improved, but it was not enough to reprice the market on its own. AP coverage of the House’s crypto votes in July 2025 noted that even after passage, the broader market-structure bill faced an unclear path in the Senate, a framing consistent with traders treating the progress as incremental rather than decisive.

The market was not indifferent. It was waiting for the next real trigger. That trigger remains Senate action on the CLARITY Act or equivalent federal legislation that settles which agency oversees what, in a form that survives future administrations. Until that happens, the gap between regulatory signals and legislative certainty will continue to define how crypto markets price U.S. policy risk.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Cryptocurrency and digital asset markets carry significant risk. Always do your own research before making decisions.

Market Opportunity
Notcoin Logo
Notcoin Price(NOT)
$0.0003799
$0.0003799$0.0003799
-0.47%
USD
Notcoin (NOT) Live Price Chart
Disclaimer: The articles reposted on this site are sourced from public platforms and are provided for informational purposes only. They do not necessarily reflect the views of MEXC. All rights remain with the original authors. If you believe any content infringes on third-party rights, please contact [email protected] for removal. MEXC makes no guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of the content and is not responsible for any actions taken based on the information provided. The content does not constitute financial, legal, or other professional advice, nor should it be considered a recommendation or endorsement by MEXC.

You May Also Like

Strait of Hormuz Crisis: Trump’s Critical 48-Hour Ultimatum to Iran Shakes Global Markets

Strait of Hormuz Crisis: Trump’s Critical 48-Hour Ultimatum to Iran Shakes Global Markets

BitcoinWorld Strait of Hormuz Crisis: Trump’s Critical 48-Hour Ultimatum to Iran Shakes Global Markets WASHINGTON D.C., March 15, 2025 – Former President Donald
Share
bitcoinworld2026/03/22 22:55
Which Altcoin Will Win Q2? (2 AIs Make Some Bold Predictions)

Which Altcoin Will Win Q2? (2 AIs Make Some Bold Predictions)

The post Which Altcoin Will Win Q2? (2 AIs Make Some Bold Predictions) appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com. Home » Crypto Bits Pi Network’s PI token vs. Ripple
Share
BitcoinEthereumNews2026/03/22 22:57
CME Group to launch options on XRP and SOL futures

CME Group to launch options on XRP and SOL futures

The post CME Group to launch options on XRP and SOL futures appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com. CME Group will offer options based on the derivative markets on Solana (SOL) and XRP. The new markets will open on October 13, after regulatory approval.  CME Group will expand its crypto products with options on the futures markets of Solana (SOL) and XRP. The futures market will start on October 13, after regulatory review and approval.  The options will allow the trading of MicroSol, XRP, and MicroXRP futures, with expiry dates available every business day, monthly, and quarterly. The new products will be added to the existing BTC and ETH options markets. ‘The launch of these options contracts builds on the significant growth and increasing liquidity we have seen across our suite of Solana and XRP futures,’ said Giovanni Vicioso, CME Group Global Head of Cryptocurrency Products. The options contracts will have two main sizes, tracking the futures contracts. The new market will be suitable for sophisticated institutional traders, as well as active individual traders. The addition of options markets singles out XRP and SOL as liquid enough to offer the potential to bet on a market direction.  The options on futures arrive a few months after the launch of SOL futures. Both SOL and XRP had peak volumes in August, though XRP activity has slowed down in September. XRP and SOL options to tap both institutions and active traders Crypto options are one of the indicators of market attitudes, with XRP and SOL receiving a new way to gauge sentiment. The contracts will be supported by the Cumberland team.  ‘As one of the biggest liquidity providers in the ecosystem, the Cumberland team is excited to support CME Group’s continued expansion of crypto offerings,’ said Roman Makarov, Head of Cumberland Options Trading at DRW. ‘The launch of options on Solana and XRP futures is the latest example of the…
Share
BitcoinEthereumNews2025/09/18 00:56