U.S. SEC chief Atkins said bond with sister agency CFTC to include joint meetings, exams
The SEC chairman made clear that formal new ties between the U.S. markets regulators will run so deep as to include combined meetings with firms pitching products.
By Jesse Hamilton|Edited by Sheldon Reback Mar 10, 2026, 5:30 p.m.
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What to know:
- A new memorandum of understanding is being written to further cement the combination of oversight roles at the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, including their work on crypto, according to SEC Chairman Paul Atkins.
- The MOU is expected to include combined meetings on product applications, rule interpretations, enforcement decisions and examinations of regulated firms, Atkins said.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission — the sister agencies that will regulate most U.S. crypto activity — have been rivals in the past over crypto issues, but they're now pursuing a formal memorandum of understanding to combine agency efforts, said SEC Chairman Paul Atkins.
"We are reorienting our approach toward a new golden age of regulatory coherence," Atkins was set to say on Tuesday in remarks prepared for the FIA Global Cleared Markets Conference in Florida. "More than aligning our rules, a harmonized framework also demands coordinating our responses to the firms that operate within it, including those that have questions of interpretation or request exemptive relief."
Atkins said he's also directed his staff to begin setting up joint meetings with CFTC employees on product applications, and a new "harmonization" website will allow firms to request coordinated discussions with both agencies.
"Firms should not be shuffled back and forth between regulators when a product touches elements of both regulatory frameworks," he said. "Nor should clarity depend on which agency happens to speak first."
The division of roles between the SEC, which regulates securities and the exchanges on which they trade, and the CFTC, the commodities watchdog that oversees derivatives markets, has been a key source of friction in the process of establishing U.S. crypto trading. No formal rules have been set to say where crypto products belong, and years of regulatory actions and legal disputes have resulted.
Since the arrival of leaders appointed by President Donald Trump, the two agencies have embraced friendly crypto policies as a top priority, in line with the president's requests. They're now working on several, including policies to clarify how digital assets will be defined as securities and commodities.
The formalized cooperation will also extend to enforcement decisions and regulatory examinations, which will become a more routine element for crypto firms as they enter more deeply into federal oversight. That could save the companies from having to go through repetitive exams.
"Coordinated exam planning for dually regulated entities should become standard practice," Atkins said. "Shared supervisory findings, subject to assurances of confidentiality, should be the norm rather than the exception."
Atkins also revisited his intention to carve out a path for super-apps that allow users to conduct business across both agencies' jurisdictions.
"In the technology world, a super-app integrates multiple services into a single seamless interface," he said. "The user does not toggle between separate systems to complete related tasks. Instead, integration occurs invisibly behind the scenes."
Read More: CFTC chair highlights wide crypto agenda, including rules on DeFi, prediction markets
Paul AtkinsU.S. Securities and Exchange CommissionU.S. Commodity Futures Trading CommissionRegulationsMore For You
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CFTC chair highlights wide crypto agenda, including rules on DeFi, prediction markets
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Commodity Futures Trading Commission chief Michael Selig updated his progress on guidance for DeFi developers, crypto derivatives and prediction markets.
What to know:
- CFTC Chairman Mike Selig said the United States is reclaiming leadership in digital assets, unveiling a joint "Project Crypto" initiative with the SEC to end turf battles and coordinate oversight.
- Selig announced that the CFTC will issue guidance and has begun rulemaking on prediction markets, asserting the agency’s authority over event contracts as they grow into a major venue for trading on elections and real-world outcomes.
- The CFTC plans to clarify when DeFi software providers must register, update rules for leveraged and margined crypto spot trading, address the status of perpetual derivatives and consider how to regulate AI-driven trading systems in digital markets.
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