SEC Drops Crypto From 2026 Examination Priorities, Signals Market Growth

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) released the Examination Priorities for the Fiscal Year 2026 on Monday, without any explicit mention of blockchain technology and crypto-related companies. Instead, the new agenda is to focus on fiduciary duty, standards of conduct, and asset custody, as well as new requirements for customer data privacy, among other priorities.

The removal of crypto from the examination priorities is considered by market analysts as a significant development in the blockchain regulatory landscape. In previous years, the SEC categorized crypto into a distinct high-risk area, especially under the chair of Gary Gensler, appointed by President Joe Biden. The current transformation into a normalized stance will likely attract more traditional investors to the crypto market.

How SEC’s Decision to Drop Crypto From Its 2026 Priorities Could Shape Market Behavior?

President Donald Trump’s agenda to make America the crypto capital of the world has been reflected in each and every area of administration since his inauguration. The current policy shift by the SEC aligns with the same agenda, and it is likely to increase investor confidence and influence the growth of the blockchain industry.

Under Gary Gensler and Joe Biden, the SEC aggressively kept the crypto industry under continuous scrutiny, enforcing heavy rules and creating lawsuits against prominent crypto-based companies. Following the shift in administration, deregulation and clarity happened, including actions such as the overturning of SAB 121, dismissal of Coinbase and Ripple (XRP) lawsuit, and the creation of a Bitcoin reserve, as well as the latest dropping of crypto from 2026 priorities.

While the report is positive for the crypto industry, the market is today in extreme FUD, primarily due to the institutional outflows and macroeconomic uncertainties. Bitcoin broke below the core psychological support of $90,000, and ETH is nearly 5% down. The overall market capitalization reduced to $3.13 trillion. Despite the uncertainties, major crypto analysts and experts suggest that the current dip will likely rebound to new all-time highs.

Gemini’s Cameron Winklevoss tweeted that this is the best time to buy Bitcoin, and Michael Saylor’s Strategy (MSTR) has added 8,178 BTC to its reserve. Strategy’s reserve now holds 649,870 BTC, making it the largest Bitcoin reserve in the world.

Crypto Market Today: Fear & Uncertainty

• Fear & Greed Index – Extreme Fear (15)
• MACD – Bearish
• BTC Treasury Supply – 1.0M / 21.0M
• Bitcoin Dominance – 58.3%
• Ether Dominance – 11.8%
• Altcoin Season – 32/100

The entire crypto market is 4.1% down in the past 24 hours, witnessing huge outflows in ETFs. Bitcoin is 4.2% down, Ethereum is 4.41% down, and XRP is 3.76% down. Major corrections were experienced by ZEC (-12%), STRK (-12.12%), and PUMP (9.89%). The 24-hour gainers include ICP (9.16%), ASTER (7.43%), and HYPE (4.94%). While the technical weakness suggests a further downtrend in the coming days, the optimism from events such as the release of examination priorities will likely create a speculation-driven uptrend soon.

Also Read: Bitcoin ETF Investors Face Losses as BTC Falls Below Average Cost Basis