SEC Chairman Paul Atkins said the commission is developing its own cryptocurrency fundraising rules through administrative rulemaking. It runs parallel to the capital raising exemption proposed in the Senate version of the CLARITY Act.
The US Securities and Exchange Commission is pushing for separate fundraising rules for cryptocurrencies
During the opening of Vanderbilt University and the Blockchain Association Digital Assets and Emerging Technology Policy SummitSEC Chairman Paul Atkins confirmed progress on the safe harbor proposal.
The SEC’s safe harbor proposal includes a cryptocurrency startup registration exemption, a fundraising exemption, and an investment contracts exemption. This comes in response to SEC-CFTC Cryptography Guidelines When cryptoassets are subject to securities laws.
This rule will enhance clarity in the US cryptocurrency industry, including allowing emerging cryptocurrency companies to raise capital while providing protection to investors. Paul Atkins added that the proposal is under review at the White House.
As CoinGape previously reported, the SEC is also working on a solution Coding innovation exemption. It will allow cryptocurrency and traditional finance (TradFi) companies to test blockchain-based products, such as tokenized securities, within a supervised sandbox without immediate or full registration.
“Reg Crypto” capital raising exemption under the CLARITY Act
The CLARITY Act would create a much-needed market structure for digital assets, providing the SEC and CFTC with separate oversight of the cryptocurrency industry. It is worth noting that The Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) revealed the classification of the tokensBTC, ETH, XRP, DOGE, ADA, SOL and other cryptocurrencies are classified as non-securities.
“Reg Crypto” is a proposed exemption for cryptocurrency fundraising in the Senate version of the Clarity Act. It also allows cryptocurrency companies to raise capital from investors, distribute tokens, and work toward decentralization.
However, the SEC’s independent capital raising rules provide greater clarity on disclosures and fundraising limits. It will supplement the exemption in the CLARITY Act.
“Reg Crypto” refers to the proposed capital raising exemption in the Senate version of the Clarity Act (Section 103) that would create a new exemption under the Securities Exchange Act of 1933. It is designed for cryptocurrency projects that want to raise funds from investors, distribute tokens,… https://t.co/SlzwUQck7a
– Eleanor Terret (@EleanorTerrett) April 7, 2026
However, Cryptocurrency bill faces delays in the SenateAs negotiations continue on issues such as stablecoin returns and other requirements. As a result, the SEC is not waiting for congressional approval, but is instead developing its own rules to provide near-term clarity for the cryptocurrency industry.
Meanwhile, Senator Bill Hagerty confirmed that the CLARITY Act is expected to make its way into the Senate Banking Committee next week, with progress continuing into April.
