Joint SEC, CFTC statement declares open season for spot crypto asset products

The SEC and CFTC have released a joint statement indicating a synergy between both agencies, recommending that current law does not prohibit SEC- or CFTC-registered exchanges from facilitating trading of these spot crypto asset products.

Both agencies have had tensions in the past, primarily due to overlapping jurisdictions and opposing regulatory approaches, particularly where cryptocurrencies are concerned.

Regulators encourage more crypto listing markets

The SEC and CFTC shared their proposed collaboration on Tuesday in a joint statement released via official channels. The effort is to be carried out in furtherance of the SEC’s Project Crypto and the CFTC’s Crypto Sprint.

It was reportedly facilitated by the President’s Working Group, which urged both agencies to coordinate oversight in order to promote regulatory clarity and keep blockchain innovation within the United States.

As part of this mandate, the SEC and CFTC divisions plan to issue guidance on the listing of leveraged, margined or financed spot retail commodity transactions involving digital assets.

According to the joint statement, the divisions will collaborate to provide regulatory clarity while reducing jurisdictional overlap. The statement pointed out that the current law allows SEC- or CFTC-registered exchanges to facilitate the trading of certain spot crypto asset products, and invited market participants to engage directly with staff via filings, registrations or requests for relief.

The coordination is founded on prior guidance, including the SEC’s digital asset framework and the CFTC’s market advisories. However, it differs in that it focuses on the harmonization of regulatory approaches rather than enforcement actions alone.

In the statement, the clearing and settlement, market surveillance, and public dissemination of trading data as priorities for joint attention was also highlighted.

This plan to work together is proof that the agencies are now ready to provide clearer compliance pathways.

SEC Chair Paul Atkins said: “Market participants should have the freedom to choose where they trade spot crypto assets.”

CFTC Acting Chair Caroline Pham said: “Under the prior administration, our agencies sent mixed signals about regulation and compliance in digital asset markets, but the message was clear: innovation was not welcome. That chapter is over.”

The announcement has triggered euphoria on social media as crypto natives expect further clarity and increased adoption as a result of the collaboration.

CFTC will allow spot crypto contracts on federally regulated exchanges

The joint statement from the SEC and CFTC comes weeks after it revealed a program that would let established exchanges like the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, which are CFTC-registered Designated Contract Markets, to list and trade spot contracts for cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana.

🚨 The NYSE, Nasdaq, CBOE, CME, etc, will soon have spot trading for BTC, ETH, and more. https://t.co/qZo3YsYDQA

— matthew sigel, recovering CFA (@matthew_sigel) September 2, 2025

Matthew Sigel, head of digital assets research at VanEck, commented on the statement, highlighting that “the NYSE, Nasdaq, CBOE, CME, etc, will soon have spot trading for BTC, ETH, and more.”

By settling in the actual token rather than cash and reflecting the current price of the underlying cryptocurrency asset, these contracts have the potential to improve market integrity and price transparency.

These established exchanges listing crypto would also signal mainstream acceptance of crypto. They are venues known to be highly regulated and trusted by institutional and retail investors, which means BTC, ETH, and other assets will be more accessible to traditional investors who may have been hesitant to engage with crypto-specific platforms like Coinbase or Binance.

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