All-Republican SEC ‘Unusual’ With Pro-Crypto Agenda Likely
The SEC is now entirely Republican following a commissioner's departure, setting the stage for a pro-crypto regulatory agenda in 2026.Summary
Following the departure of Commissioner Caroline Crenshaw, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is now composed entirely of Republican members: Chair Paul Atkins, Hester Peirce, and Mark Uyeda. This situation is described as "highly unusual" by legal experts, as the SEC is legally intended to be a bipartisan agency. Crenshaw, who dissented on the approval of Bitcoin ETFs in 2024, was reportedly not renominated following lobbying from the crypto industry. Despite procedural constraints like the Administrative Procedures Act requiring notice-and-comment rulemaking, observers anticipate a "massive year" for crypto at the SEC in 2026, with expectations of detailed exemptive relief through rulemaking. This shift aligns with a broader trend where the Trump administration has concentrated control over other federal agencies, such as the CFTC and FTC, by removing Democratic commissioners, often relying on the unitary executive theory in ongoing Supreme Court challenges.
(Source：Cointelegraph)