Blockchain-based firm Paxos is making headlines for taking a major step toward advancing its Paxos Settlement offering after receiving permission from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to operate as a clearing agency. It is noteworthy that Paxos has become the first blockchain company to register as a clearing and settlement agency in the U.S.
In a press release issued last Thursday, the firm announced that Paxos Securities Settlement Company has now been licensed as a central securities depository for the United States. This will help boost Paxos Settlement’s status as blockchain technology adoption grows within conventional finance systems.
Also Read | South Korea’s DAXA Boldly Tightens Crypto API Rules 2026
Paxos Settlement Expands Into Regulated Market Infrastructure
Clearing houses play an important role in ensuring that securities transactions are carried out successfully. Their tasks include transaction verification, matching buy-sell orders, and facilitating the exchange of money and securities between the two parties.
According to Paxos, the SEC approval eliminates one of the biggest obstacles faced by financial firms in adopting blockchain technology for their financial systems. Paxos Settlement will allow these institutions to gain access to a regulated digital clearing facility with SEC registration.
The development of this project has been going on for a number of years now. Back in 2019, Paxos was permitted by the SEC to launch a trial of the company’s blockchain-powered securities clearing system, which went live in February 2020.
As per the company, the pilot project demonstrated the capacity of Paxos Settlement to offer same-day settlement without increasing costs or inefficiencies in the process in a regulatory framework.
Charles Cascarilla, the CEO of Paxos, stated that it came after seven years of dialogue with the SEC. Furthermore, he pointed out that the company collaborated with several of the biggest financial institutions across the globe while testing their solution.
Paxos Continues Growth Despite Past Regulatory Challenges
Another significant feature of Paxos is its capability to create digital assets such as PayPal USD (PYUSD), Global Dollar (USDG), and Pax Gold (PAXG).
Previously, there had been regulatory concerns about Paxos when Gary Gensler was at the helm of the SEC. In 2023, Paxos issued a Wells Notice regarding BUSD, which stands for Binance USD, a stablecoin associated with cryptocurrency exchange Binance. The issue arose because the SEC deemed BUSD a potential unregistered security.
During the same time frame, Paxos was also ordered by the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) to cease generating BUSD tokens.
The SEC concluded its investigation in 2024 and chose not to take any legal measures against the company. Furthermore, Paxos was able to settle a case with NYDFS concerning Binance and BUSD for $48.5 million in August 2025.
Paxos Settlement stands out as among the first blockchain-based systems approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission for operation in the US securities market.
Also Read | Grayscale Hyperliquid ETF Advances With New Filing
