The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s newly released examination priorities for 2026 noticeably omit the agency’s usual section on crypto — a shift that appears aligned with President Donald Trump’s supportive stance toward the industry.
Published Monday, the SEC Division of Examinations’ priorities for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2026, make no direct reference to crypto or digital assets. Still, the agency noted that the document is not “an exhaustive list of all the areas the Division will focus on in the upcoming year.”
The U.S. crypto industry has expanded rapidly under Trump, who has pursued a deregulatory approach while his family has grown its own presence in the space through ventures spanning a trading platform, mining operations, a stablecoin, and a token.
“Examinations are an important component of accomplishing the agency’s mission, but they should not be a ‘gotcha’ exercise,” SEC Chair Paul Atkins said in a statement.
“Today’s release of examination priorities should help firms prepare for constructive dialogue with SEC examiners and offer transparency into the focus areas of the agency’s most public-facing division,” he added.
The Division of Examinations oversees compliance reviews for a wide range of market participants, including investment advisers, broker-dealers, clearing agencies and stock exchanges.
Under former SEC Chair Gary Gensler, last year’s priorities explicitly highlighted crypto, stating the Division would scrutinize the “offer, sale, recommendation, advice, trading, and other activities involving crypto assets,” including spot Bitcoin and Ether ETFs.
“Given the volatility and activity involving the crypto asset markets, the Division will continue to monitor and, when appropriate, conduct examinations of registrants offering crypto asset-related services,” the Division said at the time. The 2023 priorities also included an entire section dedicated to crypto assets and emerging financial technologies.
In its newest priorities list, however, the SEC shifts focus to “core areas” such as fiduciary duty, custody, and the protection of customer information. The agency also highlighted risks tied to emerging technologies — with specific mention of artificial intelligence and automated investment tools.
Another section of the report notes that the SEC will give “particular attention” to firms’ resilience and response capabilities in the event of cyber incidents, including ransomware attacks.
