- Chainlink joins SEC crypto task force as fines hit $2.6B, pushing for token compliance.
- ACE enables real-time blockchain compliance, targeting $100T in institutional capital.
- SEC Chair Atkins backs innovation exemption to advance tokenization and blockchain growth.
Chainlink Labs has officially joined the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) cryptocurrency task force. The initiative aims to establish compliance standards for tokenized assets. Alongside Chainlink, the SEC also admitted new digital asset projects, which include ERC-3643 Association, Enterprise Ethereum Alliance (EEA), Etherealize, and LF Decentralized Trust.
The announcement comes after the House passed three digital asset regulation bills, the GENIUS Act, the CLARITY Act, and the Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act, during Crypto Week. These developments also highlight a critical transition to structured control of the digital assets market.
According to the SEC 2024 enforcement report, the agency received more than $2.6 billion in fines secured against cryptocurrency violators.
Chainlink’s ACE Drives Real-Time Blockchain Policy Enforcement
One of the leading technical solutions to this regulatory push is Chainlink’s Automated Compliance Engine (ACE). ACE imposes real-time compliance policies across public and private blockchain networks. It also incorporates current identity systems, allowing institutions to fulfill jurisdictional needs without breaching user privacy.
Chainlink partnered with Apex Group and GLEIF to expand ACE’s capabilities and unlock $100 trillion in blockchain-based financial products held by institutions.
Additionally, the system will support Ethereum, as it currently has 65% of the total value locked in the decentralized financial world, according to DeFiLlama. In a peer-reviewed 2024 study by the Journal of Financial Regulation, imposing standardized compliance could reduce fraud in crypto markets by 30%.
Also Read | Chainlink’s Rally Isn’t Over: $17.50 Breakout Could Trigger $30 Push
Chainlink Launches Tokenized in America Blockchain Ranking
Chainlink and the Blockchain Association additionally launched Tokenized in America, a listing of the 50 U.S. states based on blockchain innovation. The initiative supports uniform technical standards for secure, cross-chain infrastructure, price feeds, and digital identity frameworks.
Chainlink’s native token, LINK, has surged in the last month, increasing about 34% and rising from near $10 to reclaim $17.90.
Chainlink co-founder Sergey Nazarov attended the signing of the GENIUS Act at the White House. In a post on X, he wrote: “The GENIUS Act is a huge step forward for stablecoins… we are now off to the next stage of our industry’s development, a Real World Asset (RWA) Tokenization boom phase.”
SEC Pushes for Tokenization Amid Calls for Consumer Protection
SEC Chair Paul Atkins said the SEC is considering an innovation exemption to support tokenization and new trading methods. He expressed optimism about the future of on-chain assets, saying, “If it can be tokenized, it will be tokenized.”
Crypto believers hailed the new GENIUS Act as having a positive impact on the sector, whereas Senator Elizabeth Warren criticized it based on consumer protection concerns. Atkins recommended that appropriate guidelines and disclosed information be used to harmonize innovation with investor safety.
Also Read | Tokenized AUM on Ethereum Hits All-Time High
