A coalition of US blockchain firms, led by the Crypto Council for Innovation, has urged the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to provide clear regulatory guidance on crypto staking. In an open letter on April 30, the coalition requested the SEC to treat staking with the same clarity it applied to proof-of-work mining.
The Council argued that staking is a core technical process for maintaining blockchain networks, not an investment contract. They emphasized that staking allows users to validate transactions, secure the network, and produce new blocks, receiving token-based rewards determined by each network's protocol.
Referencing the SEC Division of Corporation Finance's March 2025 statement on PoW mining, the Council asserted that staking should also be considered not a securities transaction. The Council believes formal guidance from the SEC would benefit developers, service providers, and end-users, removing uncertainties for platforms offering staking, especially those connected to crypto ETFs.