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The authors of this blog are members of the Corporate/Securities practice of Olshan Frome Wolosky LLP. Since our founding, this firm has been distinguished by responsive, independent and client-focused legal services provided by lawyers with a profound commitment to the companies they serve. This blog is an outgrowth of this representation of our clients in a wide range of capital market transactions.
On March 17, 2026, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) published an interpretation classifying five types of crypto assets to assist with determining which ones constitute “securities” within the meaning of the U.S. federal securities laws. While any offering and sale to investors of crypto assets deemed to be securities will require registration with the SEC pursuant to Section 5 of the Securities Act of 1933 or an available exemption such as Regulation D, this official guidance provides potential issuers with a roadmap to determine if that applies to them. In a Fact Sheet accompanying the interpretation (available at SEC Release Nos. 33–11412; 34–105020; File No. S7–2026–09), the SEC stated that the purpose of the long-needed interpretation was to (i) provide a coherent taxonomy for digital assets, including digital commodities, tools and securities, (ii) address how a non-security crypto asset may become part of an “investment contract” subject to securities regulation and (iii) clarify the application of federal securities laws to protocol mining, protocol staking and wrapping crypto activities. The SEC’s interpretation was joined by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), which indicated that certain non-security crypto assets could meet the definition of a “commodity” and be governed under the Commodity Exchange Act of 1936.
Compliance Extension Expanded to Cover Domestic Issuers’ Section 16 Reporting Persons who Suffer EDGAR Filing Code Processing Delays