Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chair Mike Selig has said that the regulator was preparing for the transition of markets moving “24-7, on-chain.”
Speaking to CNBC on Wednesday, the regulator said that it was an exciting time to be regulating markets related to crypto and artificial intelligence.
The CFTC is fast pushing ahead with rulemaking for the crypto space, despite lawmakers last week blocking the long-awaited Clarity Act. Following the vote on the landmark crypto legislation, Selig said that the watchdog would still help U.S. President Trump “get the job done” in regulating digital assets.
“Our markets are rapidly evolving,” Selig said. “We really have to reevaluate all of our rules and regulations to make sure that we’re ready and prepared for this transition to 24-7 on-chain and these automated markets that are facilitated through the use of algorithms and agentic finance.”
The Clarity Act wants to formally divide oversight between regulators, distinguishing which digital assets are securities, commodities or stablecoins.
But the bill stalled and stumbled this year as the banking lobby had issues with crypto companies paying customers stablecoin rewards and some lawmakers — mostly Democrats — were concerned about the ethics side of the legislation.
Trump received backing from major industry players while campaigning and since becoming president, his family has made money from digital asset ventures.
Some lawmakers have alleged conflicts of interest; the White House has always denied any wrongdoing.
Despite lawmakers blocking the Clarity Act, the CFTC and Securities and Exchange Commission have charged ahead with rulemaking. The CFTC last week sent a proposal to the White House to regulate crypto transactions and markets.
And the SEC went ahead and approved tokenized stocks trading the same week. In August, it also proposed its own framework for crypto asset offerings, pressing ahead while the landmark legislation stalled.
Formerly chief counsel at the SEC’s Crypto Task Force, Selig was described by White House’s Crypto and AI Tsar, David Sacks, as “instrumental in driving forward the President’s crypto agenda”
President Trump in August urged lawmakers to get the Clarity Act over the line, referring to the legislation as “very, very powerful.”
Facts Only
* Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chair Mike Selig said the regulator was preparing for the transition of markets moving “24-7, on-chain.”
* The regulator stated it was an exciting time to be regulating markets related to crypto and artificial intelligence.
* The CFTC is fast pushing ahead with rulemaking for the crypto space despite lawmakers blocking the Clarity Act.
* Selig said the watchdog would help U.S. President Trump “get the job done” in regulating digital assets.
* Selig stated that markets are rapidly evolving and require reevaluation of rules to prepare for the transition to 24-7 on-chain and automated markets facilitated by algorithms and agentic finance.
* The Clarity Act intends to formally divide oversight by distinguishing which digital assets are securities, commodities, or stablecoins.
* The Clarity Act stalled due to banking lobby issues regarding crypto company stablecoin rewards and concerns from some lawmakers about ethics.
* The CFTC sent a proposal to the White House to regulate crypto transactions and markets.
* The SEC approved tokenized stocks trading the same week the CFTC proposed its framework.
* The SEC also proposed its own framework for crypto asset offerings in August while landmark legislation stalled.
* Selig was described as instrumental in driving forward the President’s crypto agenda by the White House’s Crypto and AI Tsar.
Executive Summary
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chair, Mike Selig, stated that the regulator is preparing for a transition of markets moving to 24-7 on-chain, noting that it is an exciting time to regulate crypto and artificial intelligence. The CFTC is actively pushing forward with rulemaking for the crypto space despite lawmakers blocking the Clarity Act. Selig indicated that the watchdog intends to help the U.S. President in regulating digital assets. He emphasized the need to reevaluate rules to prepare for a transition to 24-7 on-chain and automated markets facilitated by algorithms and agentic finance.
The proposed Clarity Act aims to formally divide oversight by distinguishing between digital assets that are securities, commodities, or stablecoins. However, the bill faced obstacles, stalling due to banking lobby concerns over stablecoin rewards and ethical considerations among some lawmakers. Despite this legislative stall, the CFTC and the Securities and Exchange Commission have advanced regulatory efforts independently. The CFTC proposed rulemaking for crypto transactions and markets, and the SEC approved tokenized stocks trading and proposed its own framework for crypto asset offerings while the landmark legislation stalled.
Full Take
The narrative reflects a tension between rapid technological evolution, regulatory inertia, and political maneuvering. The central dynamic involves powerful, evolving digital markets moving at an accelerated pace ("24-7 on-chain") that existing legislative structures struggle to contain. The fact that regulatory bodies like the CFTC and SEC are advancing rulemaking independently, even while comprehensive legislation like the Clarity Act stalls, suggests a pattern of institutional action outpacing formal political consensus. This creates a vacuum where technical evolution forces regulation, rather than regulation dictating technical pace.
The conflicting paths—the pursuit of comprehensive legislative clarity versus the immediate implementation of granular rulemaking—highlights how different actors prioritize outcomes. The observed conflict between industry backing for deregulation and internal concerns about ethics or conflicts of interest in the legislative process illustrates an underlying pattern where political and financial incentives shape the pace and scope of governance, regardless of technological momentum.
The implication is that cognitive sovereignty over these evolving markets depends not just on the existence of rules, but on understanding the distributed locus of power: between technical capability, regulatory authority, and political will. When legislation falters, the immediate pressure to regulate manifests in parallel rulemaking efforts. The systemic challenge is determining whether this fragmented regulatory approach leads to coherent governance or increased fragmentation and potential systemic risk that operates outside explicit legal boundaries.
BRIDGE QUESTIONS: If comprehensive legislative frameworks are consistently stalled, what mechanisms can be developed for ensuring cross-agency alignment in emergent technological sectors? How does the divergence between CFTC/SEC action and Congressional activity affect long-term market stability? What are the specific quantifiable risks introduced by operating in a regulatory space defined more by evolving technology than static law?
Sentinel — Human
The text appears to be a standard news report synthesizing quotes and background information regarding regulatory activity surrounding crypto and AI, exhibiting characteristics typical of human journalistic synthesis.