Blockchain Update
2026 Back-to-School Checklist for Digital Asset Business Leaders and Lawyers
September 8, 2026
Class is back in session — and regulators have spent the summer writing. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) progressed from issuing staff guidance to taking Commission-level action, federal banking regulators approved the first crypto bank charters and the first Federal Reserve master account for a crypto company, and more than a dozen GENIUS Act implementing rules have been proposed (though none are yet finalized). As you prepare for the rest of the year, think of this as your back-to-school checklist: required reading from the summer, which assignments are due this semester, and what next semester’s syllabus holds.
Attorney Advertising—Sidley Austin LLP is a global law firm. Our addresses and contact information can be found at www.sidley.com/en/locations/offices.
Sidley provides this information as a service to clients and other friends for educational purposes only. It should not be construed or relied on as legal advice or to create a lawyer-client relationship. Readers should not act upon this information without seeking advice from professional advisers. Sidley and Sidley Austin refer to Sidley Austin LLP and affiliated partnerships as explained at www.sidley.com/disclaimer.
© Sidley Austin LLP
Related Resources
Capabilities
Suggested News & Insights
Sidley Adds Securities Enforcement and Regulatory Partner Peter Malyshev in Washington, D.C.January 21, 2026Sidley’s 2026 Blockchain Educational SeriesJune 23, 2026 – August 27, 2026The Evolving Regulatory Landscape for Private Credit: Key Considerations for LendersSeptember 3, 2026What to Expect in SEC Rulemaking: Takeaways From the SEC’s Spring 2026 Regulatory AgendaAugust 18, 2026Sidley Adds Senior Regulatory and Enforcement Partner James Comber in Hong KongJuly 30, 2026Securities and Exchange Commission Staff Unveils a Playbook for Tokenized SecuritiesSeptember–October 2026
- Stay Up To DateSubscribe to Sidley Publications
- Follow Sidley on Social MediaSocial Media Directory