The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) published a keynote address by Chairman Paul S. Atkins to AFME’s Annual Financial Services Policy Dinner outlining a policy agenda to reduce regulatory friction in US capital markets, update elements of the foreign issuer regime, and advance regulated on-chain market infrastructure through “Project Crypto” in cooperation with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). Atkins said the SEC is working to simplify and scale disclosure requirements to reduce SEC filing preparation costs and make disclosures more comprehensible, is seeking to “de-politicize” shareholder meetings by refocusing them on director elections and significant corporate matters, and is pursuing litigation reforms to curb frivolous complaints while preserving avenues for meritorious shareholder claims. For non-US companies listed on US exchanges, he referenced the SEC’s June 2025 request for public input on modernising a regime originally developed in 1983, with staff reviewing ideas from more than 80 comment letters. He also flagged funding pressures and structural challenges affecting the International Accounting Standards Board and the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board, and said he would work with other authorities on reforms to support a viable international standard-setting process. Project Crypto will proceed as a joint SEC-CFTC initiative exploring tokenization, including an innovation exemption framework for permissioned on-chain finance, while maintaining investor protection, transparency and supervisory oversight. On cross-border engagement, the speech highlighted ongoing enforcement and supervisory cooperation with European regulators, citing 2025 data showing 42% of incoming enforcement assistance requests came from Europe and 55% of foreign supervisory requests were from Europe.
U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission 2026-02-04
US Securities and Exchange Commission chair outlines disclosure streamlining, foreign issuer rule review and joint Project Crypto work with the CFTC
SEC Chairman Paul S. Atkins outlined a policy agenda at AFME’s Annual Financial Services Policy Dinner to reduce regulatory friction in US capital markets, update the foreign issuer regime, and advance on-chain market infrastructure through "Project Crypto" with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. The SEC aims to simplify disclosure requirements, refocus shareholder meetings, reform litigation, address international standard-setting challenges, and enhance cross-border regulatory cooperation.