On-Chain Capital Markets and Agentic Finance Are Coming

U.S. SEC Chair Paul Atkins said crypto’s time has come, pledging to modernize the U.S. securities rulebook and expand “Project Crypto” to bring markets on-chain.

Speaking in Paris on Sept. 10 at the OECD’s inaugural Roundtable on Global Financial Markets, Atkins said the SEC is shifting away from enforcement-driven policymaking and will provide clear rules for tokens, custody, and trading platforms. “Policy will no longer be set by ad hoc enforcement actions,” he said, calling the new approach “a golden age of financial innovation on U.S. soil.”

Atkins said most tokens are not securities and promised bright-line rules for determining when crypto assets fall under SEC oversight. He said entrepreneurs must be able to raise capital on-chain without “endless legal uncertainty” and pledged a framework for platforms that integrate trading, lending, and staking under one license. Custody rules will also be updated to allow investors and intermediaries multiple options.

The SEC chair said Project Crypto would clear the way for tokenized securities, new on-chain asset classes, and decentralized finance software, while ensuring investor protections. He also highlighted the potential for “super-app” trading platforms and stressed the importance of keeping innovation in the United States.

Atkins first unveiled Project Crypto on July 31, 2025, in Washington, framing it as the SEC’s “north star” in supporting President Trump’s goal of making the U.S. the world’s crypto hub. His Paris remarks expanded on that agenda, outlining more details on custody, capital formation, and platform rules.

Atkins’ remarks came two days after Nasdaq President Tal Cohen posted on LinkedIn that tokenization is an “extraordinary opportunity” for global markets. Cohen said Nasdaq had filed with the SEC to enable trading of tokenized securities, underscoring how major institutions are moving toward blockchain adoption.

Beyond crypto, Atkins addressed foreign company listings, accounting standards, and European regulation. He raised concerns over “double materiality” in EU reporting laws, urged stable funding for the IASB, and said the SEC may revisit its 2007 decision to allow IFRS without reconciliation to U.S. GAAP if funding issues persist.

The SEC chair also highlighted artificial intelligence as a force that could fundamentally reshape financial markets. He described a shift toward “agentic finance,” where autonomous AI systems could execute trades, allocate capital, and manage risk at speeds no human can match, with compliance embedded directly into their code.

Such systems, he said, could deliver faster and cheaper markets while opening advanced strategies to a broader set of investors. Coupled with blockchain infrastructure, these tools could empower individuals, increase competition, and unlock new growth.

Atkins cautioned, however, that regulators must provide “commonsense guardrails” without overreacting out of fear. He argued that on-chain capital markets and AI-driven finance are on the horizon, and that America must choose leadership to ensure the next generation of financial innovation takes root at home.

Atkins concluded by saying regulators must strike a balance between innovation and investor protection. “Crypto’s time has come,” he said, adding that U.S. markets should lead the next wave of financial innovation rather than watching it unfold overseas.