The US Securities and Exchange Commission’s latest document on its examination priorities for 2026 has conspicuously omitted its regular section on crypto, which appears to be in line with US President Donald Trump’s embrace of the industry.
SEC’s examination division on Monday Issued Its investigation priorities for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026, made no specific mention of crypto or digital assets.
However, the SEC said that its stated priorities “are not a comprehensive list of all the areas the Division will focus on in the coming year.”
The US crypto industry has boomed under Trump, who has largely worked to regulate the sector, while his family has expanded its footprint in crypto with a trading platform, mining business, stablecoins and tokens.
“Exams are a critical component to carrying out the agency’s mission, but they should not be a ‘gotcha’ exercise,” SEC Chairman Paul Atkins said in a statement.
“Today’s release of the examination priorities should enable companies to have constructive conversations with SEC examiners and provide transparency into the priorities of the agency’s most public-facing division,” he said.
The Examination Division is responsible for examining organizations, including investment advisers, broker-dealers, clearing agencies, and stock exchanges, for compliance with the federal securities laws.
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Last year, under outgoing SEC Chairman Gary Gensler, the division said it would focus on “offering, selling, recommending, advising, trading and other activities involving crypto assets,” clearly naming spot bitcoin (BTC) and ether (ETH) exchange-traded funds as a priority.
“Given the volatility and activity associated with crypto asset markets, the Division will continue to monitor and, when appropriate, conduct examinations of registrants offering crypto asset-related services,” the division said last year.
The examination division also wrote a section dedicated to crypto assets and emerging financial technology in 2023.
In its latest priorities list, the SEC said it is focusing on “key areas” including fiduciary fees, custody and client information security.
The SEC said in its report that it would focus on “risks associated with the use of emerging technologies” and made special mention of artificial intelligence and automated investment tools.
Part of the agency’s report notes that it will also pay “particular attention” to companies’ ability to respond to and recover from cyber incidents, “including cyber incidents related to ransomware attacks.”
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