US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Chair Michael Selig says financial markets should prepare for “mass tokenization,” arguing that blockchain-based tokenization could reshape trading and settlement. Speaking Tuesday at a US Treasury Market Conference, Selig frames tokenization of real-world assets as a potential pathway to faster settlement and more real-time movement of collateral across clearing and market participants, while the CFTC adapts existing rules to onchain markets.
The reporting also describes parallel efforts by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to advance tokenized trading. An SEC official, Jamie Selway, is quoted saying tokenization and crypto are not “naturally” political and that US progress in developing such markets could draw bipartisan support. On Sept. 17, the SEC grants a temporary “Innovation Exemption” enabling certain platforms to trade tokenized versions of US-listed stocks under specified conditions. SEC Chair Paul Atkins has previously said such an exemption could support onchain trading while regulators work on longer-term frameworks.
The coverage notes that these regulatory moves occur alongside legislative uncertainty. Selig previously said the CFTC would proceed under existing authority if Congress did not pass the CLARITY Act; the bill did not advance in the Senate on Sept. 15. The CFTC submitted a regulatory action for review on Sept. 17, described as still in a “prerule” stage and not yet detailing proposed regulations.
