Ex-SEC Chief Signals Crypto Legislation Likely Under Trump’s Administration

Jay Clayton, a former top Wall Street regulator and a potential appointee in President-elect Donald Trump's administration, indicated on Wednesday that Congress is likely to pass legislation governing cryptocurrencies during Trump's tenure.

Speaking at a gathering of securities lawyers in New York, Clayton expressed optimism about forthcoming crypto regulations, stating, "I think we will see crypto legislation. I think it becomes much easier to have crypto legislation if you're tackling some of these problems that can be tackled at the executive and the administrative level."

Clayton also signaled support for reducing regulatory burdens to incentivize companies to go public, hinting at broad policy shifts anticipated by industries that heavily invested in influencing this month’s elections.

In contrast to President Joe Biden's administration, which has pursued strict enforcement actions against crypto firms and resisted calls for regulatory clarity, Clayton underscored differences in regulatory approaches. He criticized Biden-era policies, particularly new SEC requirements mandating corporate disclosures on climate transition costs, calling them "terrible" as they could deter companies from entering public markets. "If you're thinking about entering the public markets and you're seeing that working its way through the system, you're like, 'Really? I gotta gather all this data that has nothing to do with how I run my business?'" he remarked.

Clayton further suggested that recent Supreme Court rulings limiting the executive branch's authority should prompt regulators to reassess current regulations and litigation for their continued "viability." When asked about potentially joining Trump's administration in a new role, he declined to confirm specifics but added, "If asked for a role where I could be effective, I'll say yes."