2026 U.S. Crypto Regulatory Outlook: SEC and CFTC Move Toward Closer Collaboration

In accordance with Chainthink, on December 27, as the Trump administration enters its second year, the U.S. crypto regulatory landscape is shifting. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) are moving from jurisdictional disputes toward closer collaboration. SEC Chair Paul Atkins is advancing a 'token classification system,' Project Crypto, and innovation exemptions, while approving multiple categories of crypto ETF listing standards and prioritizing tokenized assets. The CFTC is accelerating rule clarity through its 'Crypto Sprint' and is expected to play a more central role in regulating crypto commodities like Bitcoin under new Chair Michael Selig. Industry experts believe the 2026 U.S. crypto regulatory framework will feature SEC-led institutional innovation and CFTC-driven market expansion. Former SEC senior attorney Howard Fischer noted this is the first time in his memory that the two agencies have worked so closely on crypto regulation, and he expects this cooperation to dominate the 2026 regulatory agenda.