The US Securities and Exchange Commission’s latest 2026 examination priorities document has noticeably omitted its regular cryptocurrency section, seemingly in line with the industry’s embrace of US President Donald Trump.
On Monday, the SEC’s Division of Examinations released its examination priorities for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026, which do not specifically mention crypto or digital assets.
However, the SEC said its stated priorities are not “an exhaustive list of all the areas the Department will focus on in the coming year.”
The US crypto industry has flourished under Trump, who has largely worked to deregulate the sector, while his family has expanded its crypto operations with a trading platform, a mining business, a stablecoin and a token.
“Exams are an important component of fulfilling the agency’s mission, but they should not be an exercise,” SEC Chairman Paul Atkins said in a statement.
“Today’s release of examination priorities should allow companies to prepare for a constructive dialogue with SEC examiners and provide transparency regarding the priorities of the agency’s most public-facing division,” he added.
The Examination Division is responsible for examining the compliance of organizations, including investment advisers, broker-dealers, clearing agencies and exchanges, with federal securities laws.
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Last year, under outgoing SEC Chairman Gary Gensler, the Department said it would focus on “offering, selling, recommending, advising, trading and other activities involving crypto assets,” specifically citing spot Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) exchange-traded funds as a priority.
“Given the volatility and activity involving the crypto asset markets, the Department will continue to monitor and, when appropriate, conduct examinations of registrants offering services related to crypto assets,” the Department said last year.
The examination department also wrote a section dedicated to crypto assets and new financial technology in 2023.
In its latest list of priorities, the SEC said it is focusing on “major areas,” including fiduciary duty, custody and customer data protection.
In its report, the SEC said it would focus on “risks associated with the use of new technologies,” and specifically mentioned artificial intelligence and automated investment tools.
Part of the agency’s report notes that it will also pay “special attention” to companies’ ability to respond to and recover from cyber incidents, “including those related to ransomware attacks.”
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