CertiK Hails U.S. Stablecoin and Digital Asset Custody Laws as Major Crypto Boost

Regulation isn't a dirty word anymore—at least not for blockchain security firm CertiK, which just threw its weight behind new U.S. stablecoin and custody legislation. They're calling it the catalyst digital assets need.

Why This Matters Now

For years, the crypto industry operated in a regulatory gray zone. The lack of clear rules kept institutional money on the sidelines and left everyday users navigating a Wild West. This new legislative push aims to build guardrails where there were none, defining how stablecoins should be backed and who can legally hold your digital keys.

The Institutional Green Light

Clear custody rules mean one thing for Wall Street: reduced liability. Big banks and asset managers can finally touch crypto without fearing regulatory backlash. It transforms digital assets from a speculative gamble into a legitimate asset class for portfolio diversification. Expect a flood of traditional finance capital waiting for this exact signal.

A Double-Edged Sword for DeFi

While centralized players celebrate, decentralized finance purists are watching warily. Regulation legitimizes the space but inherently favors compliant, identifiable entities over anonymous protocols. The very ethos of "being your own bank" clashes with rules designed for third-party custodians. The next battle will be defining where DeFi fits—or if it must adapt.

The Bottom Line

CertiK's endorsement highlights a seismic shift. The conversation has moved from "if" crypto will be regulated to "how." This legislation could be the bridge that finally connects the trillion-dollar potential of blockchain with the mainstream financial system. Just don't expect the bureaucrats to understand your NFT ape jpeg—some things are still beyond their reach.

Federal rules set clear standards for stablecoins and custody

The GENIUS Act, signed into law in July this year, establishes for the first time a federal licensing framework for payment-stablecoin issuers, sets strict reserve-asset and redemption rules, and prohibits the issuance of dollar-backed tokens without federal approval. 

The law was widely described as a landmark industry moment in U.S. digital-asset legislation and was welcomed by crypto companies, banks and fintechs preparing to enter the stablecoin market.

The CLARITY Act, meanwhile, advances the longstanding debate over how to classify digital tokens by delineating the boundary between securities and digital commodities. 

The proposal, backed by Senate Republicans, WOULD clearly define the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s (CFTC) and the SEC’s oversight. It is said to also expand the CFTC’s oversight of digital commodity markets, reserving securities-linked products for the SEC.

The report also looked into the impact of the SEC rescinding SAB 121, highlighting that the reversal “removes prior capital constraints on digital asset custodians, enabling broader bank participation.”

Another finding in the report is that despite a universal baseline for cybersecurity and AML compliance existing at the federal level, fragmented state licensing regimes continue, creating “a preemption gap for multi-state operators.”

Meanwhile, market-structure legislation in the Senate is paving the way for CFTC-registered exchanges to list spot crypto products, a MOVE that could reshape trading venues for assets categorized as commodities under the CLARITY framework.

CFTC Acting Chairman Caroline D. Pham earlier today announced that listed spot cryptocurrency products will begin trading for the first time in U.S. federally regulated markets on CFTC-registered futures exchanges as of December 4

Another key finding in the report is institutional pilots, such as the Regulated Liability Network and Project Guardian, which are said to demonstrate accelerating adoption of permissioned settlement infrastructure.

Regulatory clarity enters the space globally

Beyond the U.S., the CertiK report situates these developments within a global trend with jurisdictions around the world fast-tracking the rollout of stablecoin and digital-asset regulations. 

According to TRM Labs’ 2025/26 global policy review, which pointed out that “stablecoins were a huge focus for policymakers worldwide, with over 70% of jurisdictions progressing stablecoin regulation in 2025.”

CertiK stated, “For financial institutions, the strategic focus is shifting toward permissioned digital assets: using blockchain-based settlement within clearly defined regulatory perimeters. As liquidity becomes segmented by jurisdiction (for example, between U.S. and EU/MiCA-compliant pools), the ability to map regulatory ‘gaps’ and build compliant, cross-jurisdictional infrastructure will be a key source of competitive advantage over the next few years.”