U.S. SEC, CFTC chiefs push united front on paving the way for crypto

Policy Share Share this article Copy link X icon X (Twitter) LinkedIn Facebook Email U.S. SEC, CFTC chiefs push united front on paving the way for crypto With Commodity Futures Trading Commission head Mike Selig new in the role, the agencies held a "harmonization" event to show they're side-by-side. By Jesse Hamilton | Edited by Nikhilesh De Jan 29, 2026, 7:00 p.m. Make us preferred on Google (Jesse Hamilton/CoinDesk) The leaders of the two federal agencies that have U.S. crypto's fate most in their hands hosted an event on Thursday meant to signal their commitment to coming up with crypto policies. STORY CONTINUES BELOW Don't miss another story. Subscribe to the State of Crypto Newsletter today . See all newsletters Sign me up By signing up, you will receive emails about CoinDesk products and you agree to our terms & conditions and privacy policy . Even as crypto legislation moves in fits and starts through Congress, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission are trying to advance regulatory policy to give the industry some comfort in doing U.S. business. The CFTC has a new leader, Mike Selig, who was sworn in last month after his Senate confirmation and is already moving forward on crypto initiatives. "Chairman Selig brings to the CFTC precisely what this moment demands: a deep respect for market integrity, paired with a practical understanding of how innovation drives prosperity for the American people.," said SEC chairman Paul Atkins, whose first year at the helm has already represented a sharp reversal of Democratic predecessor Gary Gensler's stance on the digital assets sector. He said the agencies will be "deploying every tool at our disposal to reduce friction, to harmonize standards and definitions where appropriate, and to equip markets with confidence as Congress completes its vital work." The SEC is responsible for securities, and that will include tokenization and any cryptocurrencies that are deemed to check that box, though leading tokens such as bitcoin BTC $ 83,447.66 and Ethereum's ether ETH $ 2,758.80 are under the CFTC's jurisdiction. The event appears to be a redux of a previous joint meeting between Atkins and Selig's immediate predecessor, then-Acting Chairman Caroline Pham. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission Regulations More For You Pudgy Penguins: A New Blueprint for Tokenized Culture By CoinDesk Research Dec 30, 2025 Commissioned by Pudgy Penguins Pudgy Penguins is building a multi-vertical consumer IP platform — combining phygital products, games, NFTs and PENGU to monetize culture at scale. What to know : Pudgy Penguins is emerging as one of the strongest NFT-native brands of this cycle, shifting from speculative “digital luxury goods” into a multi-vertical consumer IP platform. Its strategy is to acquire users through mainstream channels first; toys, retail partnerships and viral media, then onboard them into Web3 through games, NFTs and the PENGU token. The ecosystem now spans phygital products (> $13M retail sales and >1M units sold), games and experiences (Pudgy Party surpassed 500k downloads in two weeks), and a widely distributed token (airdropped to 6M+ wallets). While the market is currently pricing Pudgy at a premium relative to traditional IP peers, sustained success depends on execution across retail expansion, gaming adoption and deeper token utility. View Full Report More For You SEC chair says 'time is right' for pension funds to include crypto, CFTC head says digital assets set to flourish By Olivier Acuna | Edited by Sheldon Reback , Nikhilesh De 1 hour ago SEC Chair Paul Atkins and CFTC Chair Mike Selig said they are working with the Senate to get a crypto market structure bill over the line. What to know : SEC Chair Paul Atkins said the "time is right" for 401(k) plans to include cryptocurrency, provided it is done in a measured way with guardrails to protect retirees. The remarks came as the Senate Agriculture Committee advanced a draft crypto market structure bill that would expand the CFTC's role and clarify its oversight boundaries with the SEC, though the legislation still faces a long road to becoming law. CFTC Chair Michael Selig predicted digital assets will "flourish" under forthcoming U.S. rules, arguing that clear national standards could bring blockchain firms back onshore and make the U.S. a premier hub for crypto markets. Read full story Latest Crypto News Crypto stocks sink as spot volume plunges and bitcoin tumbles below $84,000 4 minutes ago Aero DEX aims to fix liquidity fragmentation and dethrone the incumbents 46 minutes ago Ripple-linked XRP drops 5%, opening downside risk toward $1.70 1 hour ago Dogecoin slumps 7% as bitcoin risk-off rattles memecoin bets 1 hour ago Bitcoin’s major safety net just snapped. 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