Summer slowdown already starting

Over the past few years, the SEC was going after crypto about as often (and annoyingly) as those calls about your car’s extended warranty.

This year, tho’? Whole different vibe.

They’ve already done a lot to go from being crypto’s #1 hater to an agency that actually supports this industry. Quick recap:

• Canceled SAB 121;

• Launched a dedicated Crypto Task Force to figure out how to regulate crypto – properly;

• Withdrew a bunch of lawsuits against crypto companies;

• Confirmed memecoins aren’t securities;

• Gave broker-dealers the approval to custody both crypto securities and non-securities;

• Said they want to make it easier for companies to issue, trade, and settle tokenized securities.

And they’re not done. Here’s what they’ve been cooking lately:

1/ Case closed

The SEC’s dropping their lawsuit against Binance – one of the last big crypto cases still standing from the Biden-era crackdown.

The filing says that the agency’s new Crypto Task Force could help resolve cases like this, and that dropping it was the right decision based on current policy.

Also worth noting: they want the case dismissed with prejudice, which means the SEC can’t bring it back.

2/ Staking ≠ securities

Proof-of-Stake (PoS) networks need people to stake their tokens to help run the network. Do it right, and you earn rewards – usually new tokens or a cut of transaction fees.

And the SEC used to argue that this looked suspiciously like investing in a security.

Why? Because users aren’t running the network themselves – they’re giving their tokens to someone else and expecting to earn money without doing anything.

But that was in the past.

Now, the SEC is saying that staking usually isn’t a securities offering.

If you’re staking directly, you’re doing the work. You’re helping the network and earning rewards for it.

That’s not the same as buying a stock and waiting for the price to go up.

The takeaway: rest easier, crypto people and companies.

You’re no longer at risk of getting sued just for mumbling “crypto” in your sleep.

In fact, with all the changes, there’s a decent chance you’ll actually thrive in the new regulatory environment.

Hopefully.