The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), in a landmark joint interpretive document with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), has officially clarified the legal status of 16 major cryptocurrencies as digital commodities and not securities under federal law. This represents a significant policy shift from the agency's previous stance that most crypto assets were securities.
The list, detailed by journalist Colin Wu, includes Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), Cardano (ADA), Chainlink (LINK), Litecoin (LTC), Stellar (XLM), Solana (SOL), XRP, Aptos (APT), Avalanche (AVAX), Hedera (HBAR), Polkadot (DOT), Tezos (XTZ), and notably, the meme coins Dogecoin (DOGE) and Shiba Inu (SHIB). The SEC described the move as "a major step" toward providing clarity for markets, investors, and innovators.
Prominent industry figures reacted swiftly. Ripple's Chief Legal Officer, Stuart Alderoty, stated, "We always knew XRP wasn't a security – and now the SEC has made clear what it is: a digital commodity." He credited the interagency Crypto Task Force for delivering long-awaited regulatory clarity. Former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ) called the announcement a "huge step for the crypto industry" and planned to discuss its implications at the DC Blockchain Summit.
The guidance is seen as a direct validation of Judge Analisa Torres's ruling in the SEC v. Ripple case, which found that XRP itself is not a security. Pro-XRP lawyer Bill Morgan noted, "Judge Torres’ reasoning... is now accepted by the SEC in relation to most cryptos." The market reaction was immediate, with commentators viewing it as an "unfathomably bullish" development that solidifies the non-security status of the listed assets.
