No Crypto Mention in SEC’s 2026 Priorities, Highlights AI and Cyber Risks

What Changed in the SEC’s 2026 Examination Priorities?

The U.S. Securities and platform Commission released its examination priorities for fiscal year 2026 on Monday, and one detail stood out immediately: for the first time in several years, the document contained no dedicated section on crypto or digital assets.

The omission is striking given the agency’s posture under former Chair Gary Gensler, whose annual priorities explicitly called out crypto-related risks, services, and market volatility. Last year, the SEC pledged to scrutinize crypto activity across investment advisers, broker-dealers, platforms, and custodians—naming spot BTC and Ether ETFs as areas of heightened attention.

This year, that language is gone.

Instead, the Division of Examinations focused on what it called its “core areas,” including fiduciary duty, custody, secureguarding customer information, and oversight of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence. While the agency noted that its list is not exhaustive, the absence of crypto is widely viewn as another sign of the Trump administration’s shift toward deregulation and industry development.

said examinations should not be a “gotcha exercise,” adding that the priorities were meant to improve transparency and promote constructive dialogue between firms and examiners.

Investor Takeaway

Why Does the Omission Matter for Crypto Markets?

Under , the U.S. crypto sector has accelerated across regulation, adoption, and capital flows. His administration has politically and personally, while several members of the Trump family have launched or invested in crypto ventures—from a trading platform to mining operations, stablecoins, and tokens.

Against this backdrop, the SEC’s omission reads less like an oversight and more like a deliberate shift.

For years, the SEC’s examination priorities served as an unofficial barometer of enforcement risk. During Gensler’s tenure, crypto was repeatedly framed as a high-risk, high-volatility segment that demanded close inspection. The Division flagged token sales, trading platforms, custody issues, and ETF-related activity as areas for aggressive supervision.

Now, by removing the standalone crypto category:

• Regulated firms face less signaling pressure that they are viewed as inherently high-risk.
• platforms and custodians may view fewer exam-triggered inquiries tied purely to .
• Crypto oversight may shift toward broader themes such as custody, cybersecurity, and market integrity, rather than crypto-specific scrutiny.

An SEC spokesperson pointed out that the absence of a crypto section does not mean examiners will ignore digital asset activity entirely. But priorities reflect tone—and the tone is materially diverse from the years-long posture of crypto exceptionalism.

How the Trump Era Is Rewriting U.S. Crypto Oversight

The SEC’s move aligns closely with the Trump administration’s broader embrace of digital assets. Key policy pivots so far include:

• Deregulatory positioning across custody, trading, and token issuance.
• Support for a U.S. built from seized or forfeited BTC.
• Public backing from the Trump family through new crypto businesses and investments.
• Reduced rhetorical hostility compared to prior leadership.

The SEC is not the only agency shifting its stance. Several federal bodies are rolling out frameworks designed to integrate digital assets more fully into the financial system rather than treat them as fringe or dangerous. That includes Treasury-led discussions on stablecoin rules, FinCEN’s evolving guidance on mixers and cross-chain activity, and the CFTC’s push for deeper jurisdiction over crypto markets.

For , the near-term message is clear: Washington’s center of gravity has moved.

Investor Takeaway

What the SEC Is Prioritizing Instead

Although list, several areas received heightened attention:

• Fiduciary duty and standards of conduct for investment advisers and brokers.
• Custody rules and the protection of customer assets.
• Cybersecurity readiness, including resilience against ransomware and operational outages.
• Oversight of artificial intelligence and .

will still feel the ripple effects, even without being named explicitly.

Meanwhile, continues, with BTC recently trading around the low 90,000-dollar range and Ether near 3,000 dollars—far below their October highs. Still, the regulatory climate is markedly more supportive, which could assist stabilize institutional participation through 2026.