In a major breakthrough for the U.S. digital asset market, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) have issued a rare joint statement saying that registered exchanges can now list “certain spot crypto assets.”
This ends years of uncertainty and allows mainstream U.S. exchanges—like the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), Nasdaq and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME)—to offer spot trading of digital assets, most likely including bitcoin.
For years, the SEC and CFTC were seen as competitors with overlapping jurisdiction in the digital asset space, often sending mixed signals. That era now seems to be over.
“Today’s joint staff statement represents a significant step forward in bringing innovation in the crypto asset markets back to America,” said SEC Chairman Paul Atkins. “Market participants should have the freedom to choose where they trade spot crypto assets.”
CFTC Acting Chair Caroline D. Pham echoed that, saying the recent announcement was “the latest demonstration of our mutual objective of supporting growth and development in these markets, but it will not be the last.”
The statement makes clear that under current law, regulated platforms—including national securities exchanges, designated contract markets and foreign boards of trade—are not prohibited from listing certain spot digital asset products.
This is part of President Donald Trump’s goal of making the U.S. “the crypto capital of the world”. Under the previous administration, regulators were hostile to digital assets.
“The message was clear: innovation was not welcome. That chapter is over,” Pham said.
The SEC and CFTC said this is part of two broader initiatives: the SEC’s “Project Crypto” and the CFTC’s “Crypto Sprint”. Both programs aim to modernize U.S. rules while keeping up with fast-moving global markets.
The announcement also ties into legislative developments.
The House of Representatives recently passed the CLARITY Act, which categorizes digital assets into three groups—digital commodities, investment contract assets, and permitted payment stablecoins.
This bill assigns regulatory authority between the SEC and CFTC, and is hoped to create a more predictable and stable market structure. It will give institutions the green light to get in.
The U.S. isn’t the first to act on digital asset regulation. Europe’s Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) law was fully implemented in 2024.
Industry leaders believe this move will bring in a lot of global investment. They say it makes things more accessible, letting people tap into these kinds of assets through platforms that already handle massive amounts of money.
Operational challenges like custody rules and transparent pricing are still being worked out. The agencies emphasized the need for “fair and orderly market principles,” and encouraged exchanges to share trade data and maintain reliable reference pricing.
