CFTC Proposes New Crypto Oversight Rules

Bitcoin Magazine

CFTC Proposes New Crypto Oversight Rules

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission has proposed new rules to regulate digital asset transactions and markets. 

In a Monday release, the agency said that the proposed rules would ​allow U.S. crypto exchanges to opt into a federal regulatory regime. 

Despite lawmakers blocking the Clarity Act last month, the CFTC and Securities and Exchange Commission have pressed ahead with proposing rules to regulate the digital asset industry. 

“Today’s action is a critical step in the CFTC’s ongoing efforts to ensure America remains the crypto capital of the world,” Chairman Mike Selig said. 

JUST IN: CFTC proposes rules to regulate U.S. crypto markets.

"Today’s action is just the beginning…America can lead the next generation of financial technology without repeating the mistakes of the last one." pic.twitter.com/jTL52Aqhbi

He added: “The Commission’s announcement begins our process of new rulemakings grounded in the CEA’s purpose and President Trump’s directive to propose a federal crypto asset regulatory market structure using the CFTC’s existing statutory authorities.”

If approved, the new rules would allow crypto exchanges offering the leveraged trades to register with the regulator. 

The Clarity Act wants to formally divide oversight between regulators, distinguishing which digital assets are securities, commodities or stablecoins. 

But the bill stalled and stumbled this year as the banking lobby had issues with crypto companies paying customers stablecoin rewards and some lawmakers — mostly Democrats — were concerned about the ethics side of the legislation. 

Regulators are drafting rules that the crypto industry has long called for regardless. 

CFTC Chair Selig, formerly chief counsel at the SEC’s Crypto Task Force, last month said that the regulator was preparing for the transition of markets moving “24-7, on-chain.” 

The SEC — also run by a pro-crypto regulator — went ahead and in September approved tokenized stocks trading. 

That came after it also proposed its own framework for crypto asset offerings in August, pressing ahead while the landmark legislation stalled.   

U.S. President Donald Trump campaigned on a ticket to help the digital asset industry and since taking office has signed pro-crypto legislation and executive orders. 

Trump in August urged lawmakers to get the Clarity Act over the line, calling the proposed legislation “very powerful.” 

The CFTC’s preliminary rulemaking notice is open for public comment for 60 days after it’s published in the Federal Register. After that, the agency will review the feedback and decide whether to issue a formal proposed rule, which would go through another comment period before any final rule is adopted.

This post CFTC Proposes New Crypto Oversight Rules first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Mathew Di Salvo.