U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Paul Atkins announced the agency's new vision for cryptocurrency regulation, signaling a more crypto-friendly regulatory approach towards digital assets. Atkins outlined related plans at the SEC's fourth Cryptocurrency Working Group roundtable, emphasizing that policy-making will no longer rely on ad hoc enforcement actions but will establish standards suitable for market participants through existing rulemaking, interpretations, and exemptions. Atkins supports cryptocurrencies, believing digital assets hold enormous potential, and plans to collaborate with legislators to build a supportive regulatory framework. This stance sharply contrasts with that of former Chairman Gary Gensler's tougher approach. Atkins criticized the predecessor's "head-in-the-sand" strategy, stating that guidelines will be developed for securities or investment contract-related assets and that updates to custody rules will be considered to allow self-custody under certain conditions. Additionally, the SEC may explore the possibility of providing conditional exemptions for new products and services.