Bitcoin

SEC Chair Paul Atkins Prioritizes Crypto Innovation and Tokenization

Published

1 month ago

October 17, 2025

On October 16, 2025, during DC Fintech Week, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Paul Atkins announced that cryptocurrency and tokenization are now the agency’s top priorities. In a lighthearted moment, Atkins suggested rebranding the SEC as the “Securities and Innovation Commission,” underscoring his commitment to fostering innovation in the financial sector. This marks a significant departure from the enforcement-heavy approach of his predecessor, Gary Gensler, signaling a new era of collaboration between the SEC and the crypto industry.

A Pro-Innovation Agenda

Atkins outlined a bold vision to support blockchain-based innovation, including a groundbreaking “innovation exemption” set to launch in December 2025. This exemption aims to enable rapid on-chain product launches, allowing businesses to bring tokenized products to market more efficiently. Additionally, Atkins proposed the development of a “super app” to streamline the registration process for crypto and blockchain projects, reducing regulatory friction and encouraging compliant innovation.

This shift is poised to accelerate the adoption of tokenized assets, particularly real-world assets (RWAs) such as real estate, commodities, and intellectual property. By prioritizing tokenization, the SEC aims to unlock liquidity for businesses of all sizes, enabling small and large enterprises alike to access new capital markets through blockchain technology.

Implications for DeFi and Blockchain Finance

Analysts are optimistic about Atkins’s pro-innovation stance, predicting it could attract significant institutional capital to decentralized finance (DeFi) and blockchain-based financial systems. Tokenization has the potential to transform traditional finance by making illiquid assets more accessible and tradable, fostering greater market efficiency. The SEC’s focus on simplifying regulatory pathways could catalyze a wave of compliant crypto projects, boosting confidence among investors and developers.

The emphasis on RWAs is particularly significant. Tokenized assets can democratize access to investments traditionally reserved for institutional players, such as private equity or real estate. By enabling fractional ownership and seamless trading on blockchain platforms, tokenization could unlock unprecedented liquidity, benefiting both small businesses seeking capital and large firms looking to optimize asset management.

Balancing Innovation and Investor Protection

Despite the optimism, challenges remain in balancing innovation with investor protection. The crypto industry has faced scrutiny for fraud, market manipulation, and inadequate disclosures, which have eroded trust in some quarters. Atkins’s approach aims to address these concerns by fostering a regulatory framework that encourages innovation while maintaining robust safeguards for investors. The proposed “super app” and innovation exemption are designed to ensure that compliance is accessible without stifling creativity.

Market Sentiment and Future Outlook

Atkins’s remarks have already buoyed market sentiment, with crypto markets showing renewed enthusiasm. The prospect of a more supportive regulatory environment has sparked optimism among developers, entrepreneurs, and investors, who see this as a turning point for the industry. Compliant projects are likely to gain traction, potentially leading to a surge in tokenized assets and DeFi platforms.

As the SEC shifts toward a pro-innovation stance, the focus on unlocking liquidity for small and large businesses could reshape the financial landscape. By prioritizing cryptocurrency and tokenization, Atkins is positioning the U.S. as a leader in blockchain finance, fostering an environment where innovation can thrive while maintaining investor confidence.

Disclaimer

The content on CoinReporter.io is for informational purposes only and is not financial or investment advice. Cryptocurrency investments are highly volatile and risky. Always conduct your own research and consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. CoinReporter.io and its authors are not liable for any losses resulting from actions based on this website’s content.

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Philippines Solidifies Status as Asia’s Leading Crypto Powerhouse

Published

29 minutes ago

November 18, 2025

Coin Reporter Correspondent

The Philippines has quietly become the most crypto-native nation in Asia.

While Singapore and Hong Kong compete for institutional headlines, and Thailand courts blockchain tourists, the Philippines has built the deepest grassroots adoption on the continent, with over 18 million active crypto users in a population of 115 million, a penetration rate that now surpasses even South Korea.

Real-World Use Cases Drive Mass Adoption

Two engines power the surge:

Remittances
Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) sent home nearly $40 billion in 2024. An increasing share now arrives instantly and at near-zero cost via stablecoins on platforms like PDAX, Coins.ph, and global players such as Binance and Maya. GCash, the country’s super-app with 90 million registered users, began rolling out direct crypto top-up and cash-out features nationwide in Q3 2025.
Play-to-Earn & Gaming Economies
The Axie Infinity boom of 2021 was only the beginning. Today, thousands of local and foreign-developed web3 games continue to pay out millions of dollars monthly to Filipino players. Entire communities in provinces like Cavite and Cebu have built sustainable income streams from gaming guilds and scholarship programs.

Institutions Follow the People

Traditional finance is no longer watching from the sidelines:

UnionBank became the first universal bank in Southeast Asia to offer direct crypto trading and custody to retail clients through its app
BPI and Metrobank now allow instant fiat on-ramps to licensed exchanges
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has issued 18 Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) licences, more than any other ASEAN country, while maintaining one of the most pragmatic regulatory frameworks in the region

BSP Governor Eli Remolona Jr. stated earlier this year: “We regulate to protect, not to block. Crypto is already part of the Filipino financial reality.”

A Blueprint for Emerging Markets

The Philippines model, high retail adoption first, followed by progressive regulation and rapid institutional integration, is now being studied by regulators in Indonesia, Vietnam, and Nigeria.

Local exchanges report that average user holdings have matured from speculative altcoins to stablecoins and Bitcoin, with monthly trading volumes regularly exceeding $4 billion across licensed platforms.

Industry leaders point to one statistic as proof of irreversible momentum: over 40% of GCash users have now transacted with crypto features at least once, a level of mainstream penetration that most developed markets can only dream of.

From remittance corridors to rural gaming guilds, the Philippines didn’t wait for permission to embrace digital assets. Instead, it forced the system to adapt, and in doing so has built what many now call the most vibrant, organic crypto economy in Asia.

The message to the rest of Southeast Asia is clear: when adoption leads, everything else follows.

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