SEC and CFTC Announce Joint ‘Project Crypto’ Initiative

• Lyla Velez
• February 1, 2026
• Policy
• 0 Comments

Paul Atkins, Chairman of the SEC, and Michael Selig, Chairman of the CFTC, announced “Project Crypto” on January 29, 2026, at the CFTC headquarters. The initiative aims to harmonize digital asset regulation and provide market clarity.

The collaboration signals efforts to mitigate regulatory overlap and enhance market stability. Observers believe it could shift compliance practices in financial sectors dealing with digital assets.

The initiative was launched by SEC Chairman Paul Atkins and CFTC Chairman Michael Selig, focusing on rule harmonization, regulatory clarity, and shared surveillance. These actions emphasize cooperation over competition between agencies.

Industry experts anticipate the move could influence trading venues and compliance requirements. However, no immediate effects on specific cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin or Ethereum have been noted.

Michael Selig, CFTC Chairman, stated, “Maintaining duplicative or conflicting requirements for the same economic activity undermines market resilience and regulatory clarity.”

The broader implications of “Project Crypto” could reshape how digital assets are managed across markets. Regulators cited past coordination efforts as a foundation for this initiative aimed at modernizing rules including tokenized collateral.

Potential outcomes include regulatory and technological advancements in digital asset management. Analysts predict it could lead to clearer secondary market asset classifications, drawing on historical precedents in finance regulation.