PANews reported on January 30th that, according to Decrypt, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Paul Atkins withdrew his previous timeline for the "crypto innovation exemption" to be released this month, and refused to commit to issuing a final rule this month or even next month when asked about the timing. He stated that the SEC is still studying the details and is taking a cautious approach to the matter, emphasizing that the progress of the crypto market structure bill currently being considered by Congress could also affect the timing of the exemption rule's release.

These proposed exemption rules aim to provide assurances to companies in specific crypto sectors, such as tokenized securities and DeFi, protecting their activities from SEC enforcement action. Atkins, which expressed hope for a January release in December, changed its tune at an event co-hosted with the CFTC this Thursday, stating that "it needs careful consideration" and that it hopes to see clear direction from Congress.