Investor protection and custody may dominate US crypto oversight under Democratic Congress, executives say

The Democratic majority may usher in consumer safeguards and tighter stablecoin regulations for the crypto market. Democrats have won control of both chambers of Congress in the US midterm elections, giving them a greater say over the direction of crypto regulation. How that affects the industry will depend on their approach to digital asset legislation, congressional oversight, and negotiations with the White House, according to crypto leaders. George Varghese, Head of Investment at 0G Labs, said the change in congressional control could bring closer scrutiny of the SEC and CFTC while shifting the focus of US digital asset regulation toward investor protections, custody and conflicts of interest. “That’s not necessarily negative for institutional adoption. Large investors can operate within demanding regulatory frameworks,” Varghese told Crypto Briefing. “What they struggle to price is uncertainty over which regulator has jurisdiction and whether the rules will survive the next administration. The bigger risk is another two years of regulatory fragmentation while capital and innovation continue flowing toward jurisdictions offering more predictable conditions,” he said. Varghese s...