SEC prioritizes crypto asset examination for 2025
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has once again placed cryptocurrency assets at the forefront of its examination priorities for 2025, reflecting the regulator’s ongoing focus on the evolving digital asset space.
In a recent statement, the SEC’s Division of Examinations highlighted crypto assets, including spot Bitcoin and Ether exchange-traded products (ETPs), as key areas of interest for next year, following their launch in 2024.
The SEC’s focus will be on the offer, sale, recommendation, and trading of crypto assets. It will also assess the technological risks tied to blockchain and distributed ledger technology, with particular attention to the security of crypto assets.
Acting Director of the Division of Examinations, Keith Cassidy, emphasized that the division aims to identify areas of increased risk for investors.
This renewed focus comes at a time of potential change in leadership. While current SEC Chair Gary Gensler’s term is set to run through June 2026, there is speculation he could step down in January 2025 with the possibility of a new administration coming into office.
Gensler’s tenure has been marked by a series of high-profile lawsuits against crypto firms, often criticized as “regulation by enforcement.”
The SEC’s attention on spot crypto exchange-traded products marks a shift from previous years, with the agency approving the first spot Bitcoin ETPs in January 2024, followed by Ether products in May.
