SEC chair, Paul Atkins, expressed confidence that the agency can continue advancing regulations for digital assets without congressional legislation. He indicated this belief regarding market structure and rule-making for cryptocurrencies even as Congress deliberates on a comprehensive bill for regulating the sector. Despite challenges posed by a lengthy government shutdown, Atkins emphasized his focus on establishing rules to support the cryptocurrency industry. He anticipates an innovation exemption will be finalized soon. He further highlighted SEC’s initiatives aimed at easing enforcement actions against companies in the crypto space, including the issuance of no-action letters for decentralized physical infrastructure networks. These actions align with President Trump’s executive orders regarding crypto and blockchain. While lawmakers from both the Senate Agriculture and Banking Committees work towards advancing a digital asset market structure bill, Atkins intends to continue making progress on regulations that will shape the future of the cryptocurrency industry by 2026.