Ethereum News Today: U.S. Regulators Move to Unify Crypto Oversight After Years of Conflict

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) have announced plans to host a joint regulatory roundtable on September 29, 2025, aimed at fostering greater regulatory coordination in the cryptocurrency sector. This initiative marks a significant step in resolving longstanding jurisdictional conflicts between the two agencies and aligning their oversight strategies to better serve public interests. SEC Chairman Paul Atkins and CFTC Acting Chair Caroline Pham emphasized the importance of collaboration, noting the need to move past previous “turf wars” and instead focus on harmonizing definitions, simplifying reporting standards, and unifying capital frameworks.

The roundtable will focus on several key areas, including decentralized finance (DeFi), prediction markets, and the push for 24/7 trading in traditional financial markets. Both agencies have published a joint statement outlining their commitment to “greater harmonization,” signaling a shift from conflicting regulatory approaches to a more unified stance. This development is particularly relevant for major crypto assets like Ethereum (ETH), which has historically been subject to overlapping regulatory interpretations under the two agencies. Market participants are closely watching the implications of these efforts, as greater clarity may encourage innovation and foster investor confidence in the space.

The regulatory uncertainty surrounding crypto assets has been a persistent challenge for market participants, with past conflicts between the SEC and CFTC over whether certain tokens are securities or commodities. This ambiguity has limited the ability of traditional exchanges to offer spot crypto trading and contributed to a fragmented regulatory landscape. In a joint statement issued earlier this month, the agencies clarified that registered exchanges can facilitate trading of certain spot crypto products, marking a significant step toward regulatory alignment. This move is part of broader efforts under the Trump administration to position the U.S. as the “crypto capital of the world” and to bring innovation in digital assets back to American markets.

To manage the oversight of 24/7 trading and emerging financial technologies, Atkins highlighted the role of self-regulatory organizations (SROs), noting that they would bear much of the responsibility for monitoring trading activities. Pham added that the CFTC does not require additional staffing to fulfill its mandate in non-securities markets, emphasizing the agency’s commitment to maximizing existing resources for regulatory oversight. Both leaders expressed optimism about the potential for cross-agency collaboration, with Pham stating that the CFTC is “doing great with all of its initiatives” and looking forward to continued cooperation with the SEC.

The joint regulatory approach is also expected to impact broader market dynamics. For example, Ethereum has seen a significant price surge of 70.90% in the past 90 days, with a current price of $4,298.96 and a market cap of approximately $518.9 billion. The asset’s dominance of 13.65% on the market, as reported by CoinMarketCap, underscores its importance in the cryptocurrency ecosystem. Analysts suggest that the coordination between the SEC and CFTC could help resolve longstanding issues and support innovative solutions within the crypto industry. However, the agencies did not provide specific details on which crypto assets would qualify for spot trading or offer a timeline for implementation, leaving room for further clarification.

Source: [1] SEC, CFTC Chiefs Say Crypto Turf Wars Over as Agencies Move Ahead on Joint Work (https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2025/09/05/sec-cftc-chiefs-say-crypto-turf-wars-over-as-agencies-move-ahead-on-joint-work) [2] SEC and CFTC to Hold Joint Crypto Regulatory Roundtable (https://www.mexc.com/news/sec-and-cftc-to-hold-joint-crypto-regulatory-roundtable/86843) [3] SEC, CFTC Clear Path for Spot Crypto Trading on Registered Exchanges (https://www.blockhead.co/2025/09/03/sec-cftc-clear-path-for-spot-crypto-trading-on-registered-exchanges/)