Welcome to the first issue of the Digital Assets + Blockchain Newsletter. In this newsletter, we’ll track the regulatory, legislative, and enforcement developments reshaping the crypto and digital assets landscape — from the GENIUS Act’s stablecoin framework to the SEC’s and CFTC’s evolving posture on digital commodities to custody rules, licensing regimes, and beyond.
On January 29, the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry (AG Committee), led by Chairman John Boozman (R‑AR), advanced S. 3755, the Digital Commodity Intermediaries Act (DCIA), on a party-line vote. The DCIA builds on the bipartisan, House-passed CLARITY Act to create a federal registration and compliance regime for key digital asset intermediaries. The DCIA also would provide a clear legal definition of “digital commodities” and establish a spot market digital commodity intermediary regulatory regime with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). In the press release, Chairman Boozman framed the vote as “a critical step toward creating clear rules for digital asset markets” that protect consumers while allowing innovation to thrive.
In 2025, the U.S. digital asset landscape evolved more dramatically than in any year since the industry’s inception. A pro‑innovation White House, an active Congress, and key regulators — including the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), the Department of
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) have rescheduled their joint event, “SEC – CFTC Harmonization: U.S. Financial Leadership in the Crypto Era.” Originally planned for January 27, the program will now take place on Thursday, January 29, from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. ET at CFTC headquarters in Washington, D.C.
On August 18, the U.S. Department of the Treasury issued a Request for Comment, inviting interested members of the public to provide input on innovative methods to detect and mitigate illicit finance risks involving digital assets. This initiative fulfills the GENIUS Act directive for the Secretary of the Treasury to seek public comment on methods to detect illicit activity involving digital assets, complements the January 23, 2025 Executive Order 14178 on “Strengthening American Leadership in Digital Financial Technology” to promote responsible digital asset growth and U.S. leadership in digital finance, and aligns with the July 30, 2025 report from the President’s Working Group on Digital Assets advocating enhanced anti-money laundering/countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) measures through public-private collaboration. In conjunction with the SEC’s “Project Crypto,” this Request for Comment bolsters the Administration’s commitment to fostering responsible innovation in digital finance while addressing potential risks and misuses by illicit actors.
On July 31, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Paul Atkins (Chair Atkins) presented “Project Crypto,” an initiative aimed at positioning the U.S. as the global leader in the digital finance world. In his address, Chair Atkins outlined his vision to modernize securities rules and regulations, enabling America’s financial markets to fully embrace blockchain technology and move on-chain. This plan solidifies President Trump’s vision of making the U.S. the crypto capital of the world and signals a new era of regulatory clarity and innovation for the crypto industry within the U.S.
We are pleased to share with you our latest publication, “Navigating Change: First 100 Days under the Trump Administration,” authored by our Digital Assets + Blockchain team. This retrospective examines the pivotal developments in the digital assets industry during the initial phase of the Trump administration.
Last week, the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released final regulations that significantly impact the reporting requirements for brokers involved in digital asset transactions. The stated aim of the new rules, which are part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s implementation of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, is to streamline tax reporting and ensure compliance within the decentralized finance (DeFi) sector. The regulations will become effective 60 days after their publication in the Federal Register.