The CHART Architect

U.S. SEC issues first-ever definitions for what crypto assets are securities
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission shared the informal guidance it'll use to classify crypto securities alongside its sister agency overseeing commodities.

By Jesse Hamilton|Edited by Nikhilesh De
Updated Mar 18, 2026 at 2:19 a.m.
Published Mar 18, 2026 at 1:28 a.m.
GoogleMake us preferred on Google
SEC Chairman Paul Atkins (Nikhilesh De/CoinDesk)
SEC Chairman Paul Atkins (Nikhilesh De/CoinDesk)
What to know:

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission issued guidance explaining how it will define cryptocurrencies as securities, creating several categories of digital assets.
Just one category includes digital securities, which in SEC Chairman Paul Aktins' words, returns the agency to its core focus of only overseeing securities markets.
Atkins told reporters after an appearance in Washington on Tuesday that the agency will propose a formal rule in a week or two that will further outline an innovation exemption and other aspects of crypto regulation.
For the first time, the U.S Securities and Exchange Commission has sought to clearly define different types of crypto assets and how the regulator will approach them, issuing those new standards Tuesday alongside its sister agency that's responsible for commodities.

The SEC's interpretive guidance, which doesn't yet carry the weight of a formal new rule, has been promised by its leader, Chairman Paul Atkins, who was put in place by President Donald Trump to enact a pro-crypto agenda. And it was issued in partnership with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, just days after the two agencies agreed on a formal relationship in which they plan to regulate crypto and other industries as close partners.

“After more than a decade of uncertainty, this interpretation will provide market participants with a clear understanding of how the Commission treats crypto assets under federal securities laws," Atkins said in a statement.

The previous chairman of the SEC, Democratic appointee Gary Gensler, had declined to commit to tailored policies for the crypto sector, leaving a longstanding gap in its regulator certainty in the world's most important market. Atkins said the new "token taxonomy" interpretation on Tuesday takes a stance that Gensler's agency refused to: "Most crypto assets are not themselves securities."