SEC Chair Paul Atkins and CFTC Chair Michael Selig will hold a joint discussion on aligning digital asset regulatory oversight at the DC Blockchain Summit 2026, the event agenda shows. The session will focus on how the two U.S. market regulators coordinate approaches to supervising digital asset markets within their respective mandates.

South Korean regulators fined Bithumb 36.8 billion won, approximately $24.5 million, for breaching anti-money laundering rules, Cointelegraph reports. The enforcement action also includes a six-month partial suspension of the exchange's business operations.

A Buenos Aires court on March 16, 2026 ordered a complete block of Polymarket in Argentina, directing national communications regulator ENACOM to enforce the ban and instructing Google and Apple to remove the app from local stores, CriptoNoticias reports. The restriction follows a complaint from the Buenos Aires Lottery Agency (LOTBA), which determined that Polymarket operates an unauthorized online gambling service under the guise of a prediction market without identity or age verification, posing significant risks to users. Argentina has become the second Latin American jurisdiction after Colombia to impose a full ban on the platform.

South Korea's Hana Financial Group signed a memorandum of understanding with Standard Chartered to collaborate on digital asset initiatives including stablecoins, BSC News reported. The deal follows Hana's prior partnership with BitGo for crypto custody and its 25% stake in BitGo Korea alongside SK Telecom.

SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce called on companies developing tokenization and innovative ETF structures to approach regulators directly. She said the message to such firms is to come in and speak with the agency about what they are building.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission proposed limiting broker-dealer Rule 15c2-11 to apply only to equity securities, the agency said. Commissioner Hester Peirce called for public comments on whether crypto assets should fall within the equity securities definition under the proposed change.

SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce said on March 17 that regulators encourage asset managers to approach the agency as they develop tokenized financial instruments and new ETF structures, The Block reports. Peirce emphasized firms should speak directly with the SEC about their plans so regulators can work with them on market testing, adding more companies have recently come forward with tokenization proposals as attitudes toward blockchain technology have evolved. On leveraged ETFs, she noted the SEC's role is to ensure offerings meet statutory leverage caps and disclosure rules rather than judge product quality, while issuers can suggest structures above typical thresholds if they show compliance with securities law. Peirce also disclosed SEC staff are studying a narrowly tailored innovation exemption to permit limited trading of certain tokenized securities within the current regulatory regime.

U.S. SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce said regulators are open to early discussions with asset managers exploring tokenization of financial products, The Block reports via ChainCatcher citing a CNBC interview. She explained the SEC works with firms piloting new instruments, including tokenized products, to assess market acceptance, stressing the agency enforces legal boundaries and disclosure rules rather than judging product quality. Peirce noted more firms have approached the SEC about tokenization plans as views on blockchain technology evolved, adding that staff are reviewing a narrower innovation exemption to permit limited experimentation with certain tokenized securities within the current framework while maintaining investor protections. She said legal, operational and technical issues are likely to arise as these models are tested, but regulators hope to collaborate with the industry to resolve them.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission proposed amendments to Exchange Act Rule 15c211 on March 16 that would limit its application to equity securities and explicitly exclude crypto assets, Odaily Planet Daily reports. The rule establishes information collection and review obligations for broker-dealers publishing or maintaining continuous quotations in over-the-counter markets. SEC Chairman Paul S. Atkins said regulations should be tailored to the asset classes they cover, noting the proposal aims to clarify regulatory duties for publishing quotations. A 60-day public comment period will begin upon the proposal's publication in the Federal Register.