SEC Cancels Its First Crypto Rulemaking Vote: Why Regulation Crypto Just Stalled

The US Securities and Exchange Commission was supposed to take the single biggest step in its 90 year history toward governing digital assets through rules rather than lawsuits. Instead, on the evening of August 13, it quietly cancelled the meeting.

The vote was scheduled for Friday, August 14 at 10:00 a.m. ET. The agenda had one item on it: whether the Commission should issue a release proposing a tailored offering regime for certain investment contracts involving crypto assets. That item, known across the industry as Regulation Crypto, is now sitting without a date.

What exactly was cancelled

The agenda item was listed formally as Regulation Crypto Assets, assigned to the SEC's Division of Corporation Finance. The three member commission, all Republicans under Chair Paul Atkins, was expected to vote on whether to publish the proposal for public comment.

Regulation Crypto is not a single rule. Based on the framework Atkins previewed earlier in the year, it carries three components:

• A startup exemption letting early stage crypto projects raise capital without triggering full securities registration
• A fundraising exemption covering capital raised for network development
• A safe harbor for teams decentralising a network away from managerial control