# SEC Chair directs staff to develop conditional crypto-custody proposal

> SEC Chair Paul Atkins said he asked staff to develop a proposal clarifying crypto-asset custody for investment advisers and regulated funds.

- URL: https://riadefi.com/regulation/2026-09-14-sec-chair-crypto-custody-proposal-signal/
- Posture: Official signal · nonbinding
- Authorities: Chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
- Event date: 2026-09-14
- Version: 1, published 2026-09-15 (first published 2026-09-15)
- Advisor-relevant: no

This entry records an official signal, such as a speech or a statement. It does not change the law.

## What changed

SEC Chair Paul Atkins said he asked staff to develop a proposal clarifying crypto-asset custody for investment advisers and regulated funds. He stated his preferred direction would permit adviser self-custody and use of state trust companies under appropriate conditions. These remarks are the Chair's views and signal prospective rulemaking; they are not a Commission proposal, rule, or presently available custody permission.

## Who it affects

- Investment advisers managing client crypto assets
- Registered funds and their advisers evaluating crypto-asset custody
- State trust companies providing digital-asset custody
- Compliance personnel assessing custody arrangements for assets without an available qualified third-party custodian

## What is still open

- Whether and when the Commission will publish a proposal
- The conditions that would govern adviser self-custody
- How any proposal would define eligible state trust companies and address qualified-custodian requirements
- Whether a future Commission majority will adopt the Chair's preferred approach

## What it means for an advisor

- Do not treat the speech as authorization to self-custody client crypto assets or use any particular state trust company
- Inventory crypto-custody arrangements and identify controls that could be affected by a future proposal
- Monitor the SEC rulemaking docket for operative text, proposed conditions, and transition provisions

## Sources

1. [Remarks at the Solana Policy Institute Summit: Washington x Wall Street](https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/speeches-statements/atkins-remarks-solana-policy-institute-091426) · Chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission · 2026-09-14


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Published by Ketju Research on RIADeFi (https://riadefi.com). Educational research for financial professionals; not investment, legal, tax, or compliance advice.