# SEC to Push Forward With Crypto Market Rules After CLARITY Act Stalls

- URL: https://stocks.freetheai.org/news/sec-to-push-forward-with-crypto-market-rules-after-clarity-act-stalls-920a7c
- Published: 2026-10-18T18:53:56Z
- Category: regulation; sentiment: neutral; impact: medium
- Written by our AI from expert market sources across the web for FreeTheAI Stocks, built by Vibhek Soni
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Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Paul Atkins announced that the agency will move ahead with a regulatory framework for digital assets despite legislative roadblocks in Congress. The decision comes after the CLARITY Act fell short of the 60 votes required to pass in the Senate on September 15.

With legislative efforts stalled, focus has shifted toward regulatory agencies establishing clear rules using existing powers. The SEC previously introduced a temporary regulatory exemption in September to ease rules for trading tokenized stocks. Meanwhile, administrative leadership shifts continue following the departure of Patrick Witt, executive director of the White House crypto council.

Investors will be monitoring how the SEC applies its current powers to market structure going forward, including any additional temporary relief or guidance for digital assets.

## Key points

- The SEC plans to establish crypto market structure rules using existing regulatory powers.
- The CLARITY Act failed to pass the Senate on September 15 after falling short of 60 votes.
- The SEC issued a temporary exemption in September to ease trading rules on tokenized stocks.
- Patrick Witt left his post as executive director of the White House crypto council.

## Questions and answers

### What is the status of the CLARITY Act?

The CLARITY Act stalled after failing to reach the required 60-vote threshold in the Senate on September 15.

### How is the SEC handling crypto regulation after the CLARITY Act stalled?

SEC Chair Paul Atkins stated the agency will continue developing a crypto market structure framework using its existing regulatory authority.

### What recent SEC changes affect tokenized stock trading?

The SEC introduced a temporary regulatory exemption in September to reduce restrictions on trading certain tokenized stocks.