SEC Chair Paul Atkins Eyes New Rules for Onchain Markets and AI-Driven Finance

Existing U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rules center on traditional intermediaries such as broker-dealers, exchanges and clearing agencies. Blockchain protocols, however, can combine trading, collateral management, liquidity routing, strategy execution and settlement in a single piece of software. SEC Chair Paul Atkins believes AI agents and onchain infrastructure will accelerate financial automation, potentially leaving the old framework ill-suited to hybrid markets.

Speaking at the AI+ Expo in Washington on May 8, 2026, Atkins said the SEC was considering rules for onchain trading, crypto vaults, blockchain settlement and AI-automated finance. He also backed congressional efforts to advance the CLARITY Act, which would divide oversight of digital assets between the SEC and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. No financial figures, draft rules or effective dates were announced.