On November 18th, as reported by Cointelegraph, the latest annual priorities document for the 2026 fiscal year issued by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has substantially eliminated the previously frequently encountered special chapter dedicated to cryptocurrency. This action appears to be in harmony with the support given by former President Trump to the crypto industry. The examination department of the agency released its annual work priorities as of September 30, 2026, without specifically making any reference to cryptocurrency or digital assets. Nevertheless, the SEC stated that the listed priorities are “not an all-inclusive list of all areas of focus for the coming year.” During Trump’s tenure, the U.S. crypto industry witnessed significant growth – the government continuously strived for regulatory relaxation, and his family also expanded into the crypto field through exchanges, mining, stablecoins, and token businesses. Under the leadership of former Chairman Gary Gensler last year, the department explicitly included “the issuance, sale, recommendation, advisory, trading, and other activities related to crypto assets” as priorities, notably highlighting spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs. The 2023 priorities document also contained a special chapter on “Crypto Assets and Emerging Financial Technologies.” However, in the latest work priorities list, the SEC stated that it will focus on “core areas” such as custody responsibilities, asset custody, and client information protection. The report details in a section that it will also pay particular attention to companies’ “capacity to respond to cyber attacks and achieve business recovery, especially in relation to ransomware attack-related incidents.”
