The US SEC may release innovative exemption rules for tokenized stocks as early as this week

According to Bloomberg, informed sources revealed that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) may issue "innovation exemption" rules for tokenized stocks as early as this week, establishing a new framework for trading crypto versions of publicly listed company stocks. The SEC is inclined to allow trading of third-party tokens that are not endorsed or approved by the listed companies, which can be traded on decentralized crypto platforms but may not necessarily have rights such as voting or dividends.

This exemption covers tokens traded on DeFi platforms and will test whether stock trading can migrate to crypto infrastructure in the absence of traditional equity market protections. SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce is the main proponent of this exemption, but some SEC officials do not support the decision. Institutions such as Citadel Securities and SIFMA have expressed opposition, warning that this move could undermine investor protection measures like KYC and anti-money laundering. Peirce stated that the exemption is an important step, but it will not change the entire financial system overnight.