SEC set to weigh Aug. 14 crypto and tokenized securities reforms

The SEC is expected at its Aug. 14 open meeting to pair a proposed "Regulation Crypto" vote with an innovation exemption for tokenized securities that Bloomberg says could clear a path for 24/7 trading of blockchain-based stocks. The exemption is expected to define how public companies can block unauthorized third-party stock tokens and add anti-money-laundering safeguards, with reports also pointing to possible limits that would confine tokenized equity trading to U.S. entities. It remains unclear whether such relief would reach issuers such as Backpack and xStocks or decentralized venues such as Raydium and Orca. The push comes as the Clarity Act has been delayed until at least a Sept. 15 procedural vote in the Senate, strengthening industry arguments that SEC action may matter more in the near term even though agency rules could be reversed by a future administration. Nate Geraci has argued that the bill's failure is ironic because it would leave President Trump's SEC with broad room to fast-track crypto policy under existing law. Jefferies analysts likewise said agency guidance is no substitute for legislation because it can be rolled back without a congressional vote. The broader political fight remains intense, with CoinDesk reporting that a Democratic midterm sweep could put several crypto critics atop the four committees that handled the bill, while Blockchain Association CEO Summer Mersinger said the industry's best path remains a federal regulatory structure regardless of who controls Congress.