Bitcoin steadied on Wednesday as markets weighed a new SEC crypto rule proposal alongside lingering US-Iran tensions and a broader risk-off tone in financial markets driven by surging Treasury yields. Bitcoin fell 0.2% to $64,169.40 by 02:10 ET. The SEC unveiled Regulation Crypto Assets on Tuesday, proposing two exemptions from securities registration requirements for crypto offerings. Traders also awaited a White House meeting of the administration’s innovation committee, expected to bring additional regulatory signals ahead of a CFTC session Thursday.

SEC Proposes New Crypto Offering Rules
The US Securities and Exchange Commission proposed Regulation Crypto Assets on Tuesday, aiming to build a tailored framework for certain investment contracts involving crypto assets. The rule would create two exemptions from Securities Act registration requirements: a one-time startup exemption letting eligible issuers raise up to $5 million over a four-year period, and a fundraising exemption permitting offerings of up to $75 million during any 12-month period. Issuers using the larger exemption would face additional obligations, including financial statements and ongoing reporting requirements. SEC Chairman Paul Atkins said the proposal aims to give crypto entrepreneurs and market participants clear pathways to raise capital under federal securities laws.
He added that, consistent with the commission’s earlier interpretative guidance, the plan would also allow a safe harbor once an issuer has completed or permanently ceased the essential managerial efforts it promised under an investment contract. The proposal opens a 60-day public comment period and follows the Senate’s failure to advance the CLARITY Act before its August recess.
White House Meeting Awaited for Cues
President Donald Trump is expected to join a White House session of his administration’s newly formed innovation committee on Wednesday. The gathering brings together chief executives from crypto firms and prediction markets alongside representatives from traditional finance and artificial intelligence companies. It sets up a follow-on session at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission the next day, where the CFTC’s Innovation Advisory Committee is scheduled to hold its inaugural meeting covering crypto regulation, AI, and prediction markets. The developments at the SEC and CFTC arrive even as the CLARITY Act, the industry’s central legislative priority, remains stalled in Congress, with a procedural Senate vote now scheduled for September 15.
- Startup exemption: up to $5 million raised over a four-year period
- Fundraising exemption: up to $75 million in offerings per 12-month period
- Comment period: 60 days before the SEC can finalize the rule

Altcoins Hold Steady as Bitcoin Pauses
Broader crypto prices held within a tight range Wednesday. Ether rose 0.3% to $1,908.06, while XRP gained 0.2% to $0.9994. Solana and Cardano advanced 0.9% and 1.2%, respectively, while BNB slipped 0.4%. Memecoins Dogecoin and Official Trump were largely unchanged on the session. The muted moves reflect a market waiting on policy clarity rather than reacting sharply to either the SEC proposal or geopolitical tensions tied to Iran.
Conclusion: Regulators Move as Congress Waits
Bitcoin’s steadiness near $64,000 reflects a market in a holding pattern, absorbing incremental regulatory progress from the SEC while awaiting more decisive signals from Wednesday’s White House meeting and Thursday’s CFTC session. With the CLARITY Act stalled in Congress, US regulators are increasingly setting policy through rulemaking rather than legislation, a shift traders will need to track closely as Regulation Crypto Assets moves through its comment period.
Sources & Methodology
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