U.S. SEC Chair: Tokenized securities still fall under securities laws; distributed ledger technology has many potential benefits for the financial industry

ZkProver · 2026-03-12T03:51:29+00:00

SEC Chairman Paul Atkins discussed the potential of distributed ledger technology on the All-In Podcast, highlighting the possibility of achieving T+0 settlement and mentioning the need to address challenges such as liquidity. He also emphasized that regulatory rules should adapt to technological advancements to ensure applicability. The SEC and CFTC collaborate to delineate asset regulatory responsibilities.

ZkProver

2026-03-12 03:51:29

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ChainCatcher News, SEC Chairman Paul Atkins said during an appearance on the All-In Podcast, "From my perspective, distributed ledger technology (DLT) offers many potential benefits to the financial services industry, and we are at a critical point where T+0 settlement—meaning almost instant delivery and payment, or even payment through on-chain digital assets—could become a reality. This is very exciting. To prevent issues like fraud, we might even need to set some speed bumps. However, there are challenges, such as liquidity concerns. In traditional markets, what do the concepts of best bid and ask mean in this new system? That’s one of the issues we need to address.

Our principle is: if an asset is inherently a security, even if tokenized, it remains a security and federal securities laws still apply. But regulators have a responsibility to ensure our rules truly fit the new practical uses. As trading purposes and delivery methods evolve, we also need to make adjustments. We need to reform our systems to truly adapt to the new technological environment.

This is exactly what we are working on now—reviewing our regulatory rules one by one to ensure they can keep pace with emerging technologies. The SEC is coordinating regulation with the CFTC. For example, if an asset is a tokenized security, it falls under the SEC’s regulatory framework; if it’s digital currency, digital tokens, digital tools, or digital collectibles, then it falls under the CFTC’s jurisdiction.

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