SEC Chair Paul Atkins Urges Calm on Crypto Slump and Details Project Crypto Agenda

On February 18 at ETHDenver, SEC Chair Paul Atkins said regulators should not overreact to falling crypto prices as Bitcoin hovered around $66,000 and other major tokens declined. Instead, he outlined Project Crypto, a joint SEC–CFTC effort to define asset classifications, rules for tokenized securities on automated market makers, and custody guidance, while Commissioner Hester Peirce stressed that long‑term value depends on building useful products rather than short‑term market moves.