Bloomberg says U.S. SEC ICO relief may come too late

The U.S. SEC’s recent proposal to create a securities registration exemption for crypto offerings could significantly improve fundraising conditions in the market, but Bloomberg said the move may amount to a belated fix. Bloomberg said the SEC is trying to revive the once-booming initial coin offering market, but added it may be looking for buyers for a product investors abandoned long ago. Under the proposal, crypto startups could raise as much as $5 million without SEC registration and up to $75 million annually depending on size, according to the report. Bloomberg added the more urgent priority is passage of the CLARITY Act, with fundraising issues coming afterward. Carlos Guzman, a research analyst at crypto trading and investment firm GSR, said ICO activity has continued to decline after peaking in 2018. Guzman added ICOs in 2026 are different from those in 2018, and the era of raising money with only a white paper and ambition is over.