SEC proposes tougher rules as part of its crypto custody crackdown

cointelegraph.com:

A five-member panel of the United States Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) has voted 4-1 in favor of a proposal that may make it more difficult for cryptocurrency firms to serve as digital asset custodians in the future.

The proposal, which is yet to be officially approved by the SEC, recommends amendments to the “2009 Custody Rule” will apply to custodians of “all assets” including cryptocurrencies, according to a Feb. 15 statement from SEC Chairman Gary Gensler.

Gensler stated that currently, some crypto trading platforms that are offering custody services are not actual “qualified custodians.”

According to the SEC, a qualified custodian is generally a federal or state-chartered bank or savings association, trust company, a registered broker-dealer, a registered futures commission merchant, or a foreign financial institution.

In order to become a “qualified custodian” under the newly proposed rules, U.S. and offshore firms would additionally need to ensure that all custodied assets — including cryptocurrencies — are properly segregated, while these custodians will be required to jump through additional hoops such as annual audits from public accountants, among other transparency measures.

We @SECGov just proposed to expand & enhance the role of qualified custodians when registered investment advisers custody assets on behalf of investors.Thru our rule, investors would get the time-tested protections—and qualified custodians—they deserve.What does this mean? ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/RerUGnpArI

While Gensler said these amendments would “expand the scope” to all asset classes, he specifically took a shot at the crypto industry:

“When these platforms go bankrupt—something we’ve seen time and again recently—investors’ assets often