SEC and CFTC Issue First Joint Crypto Asset Taxonomy

On March 17, 2026, the SEC and CFTC issued joint interpretive guidance establishing a formal taxonomy for crypto assets. This framework organizes assets into five categories: digital commodities, digital collectibles, digital tools, GENIUS-compliant stablecoins, and digital securities. Only digital securities fall fully under SEC jurisdiction; the remainder are subject to the CFTC. The guidance further clarified that activities like mining, airdrops, and staking services fall outside securities regulation when service providers act simply as technical facilitators. This marks the first time both agencies have aligned on a single classification standard, providing the industry with a long-awaited regulatory map for domestic operations.

Our Take

For over a decade, regulatory ambiguity was a primary barrier to the institutional adoption of crypto. This taxonomy significantly lowers that hurdle, providing banks and asset managers with a clear framework to work within. Beyond just defining rules, this joint guidance is yet another signal that U.S. regulators want the traditional finance industry to embrace crypto and blockchain technology. While it’s a massive step forward, this remains interpretive guidance and not law. The next milestone is the CLARITY Act, which will codify this stance in law and introduce additional benefits, such as developer protections. Once law, these legislative guardrails should help crypto and DeFi flourish, cementing the U.S. as the leader in digital assets.

Stripe and Paradigm Launch Tempo

Most new Layer-1 blockchains are a dime a dozen, but some are worth noting. This is especially the case for Tempo, which is a new purpose-built payments network that went live in March and is backed by Stripe and Paradigm. Unlike traditional public networks, such as Ethereum, Tempo settles all transaction fees directly in stablecoins, eliminating the volatility and friction that can come with native gas tokens. The network also debuted alongside the Machine Payments Protocol (MPP). This new open standard enables AI agents to pay for data and other services via stablecoins. MPP was co-designed with Visa, demonstrating yet again that crypto is vying to play a significant role in the future of financial infrastructure.

Our Take

Tempo’s significance is defined by its architects and its timing. Stripe’s involvement validates our thesis that stablecoins are the inevitable future of payments. While permissioned corporate blockchains have historically struggled to gain traction, Tempo has a unique distribution moat, as Stripe already powers payments for millions of businesses globally. What’s more interesting however is MPP. Coinbase’s x402 already serves as an open, crypto-native standard for agentic payments. The decision to build MPP suggests there is something to be won as the standard for how AI agents transact. The decision to launch Tempo as its own L1, versus an Ethereum L2, was a surprise for many in the crypto industry. We’ll be watching Tempo closely to see if it can succeed as a payments-focused blockchain, or if it will fall like many proclaimed “Ethereum Killers” of the past.

Bitcoin's Quantum Threat Gets Closer As Defenses Take Shape

Google's Quantum AI team published a whitepaper on March 31st showing that future quantum computers may be able to crack Bitcoin’s encryption as soon as 2029\. These findings add urgency to quantum defense efforts that advanced throughout March. BTQ Technologies launched the first live testing environment for BIP-360, a proposed upgrade that would allow users to store bitcoin in quantum-safe addresses. The proposal targets the same vulnerability Google's paper warns about. Separately, Blockstream Research published a new potential solution to make bitcoin transactions quantum-resistant without degrading the blockchain’s performance.

Our Take

The Google paper is shocking, and the findings warrant genuine attention. But the full picture from March tells a more balanced story. The progress on BIP-360 and the unexpected signature scheme proposal from Blockstream Research show that post-quantum planning is accelerating. Furthermore, Google coordinated its disclosure with Coinbase, the Ethereum Foundation, and Stanford rather than simply sounding an alarm. This signals that the institutions closest to quantum development believe the industry has time to prepare.

We wrote in February that the hard part of Bitcoin’s quantum defense is coordination, not cryptography. The developments since have reinforced that thesis, with the cryptographic tools and institutional infrastructure advancing faster than prior upgrade cycles would have predicted. As we said before, the cost of preparing early is modest compared to the cost of being late. Fortunately, preparation from the Bitcoin community is what we are starting to see.

About Triple Point Strategy

Triple Point Strategy is a research firm and crypto investment manager. We operate the Marietta DeFi Fund, a crypto investment fund that is focused on capital appreciation and DeFi-native income strategies. It is currently available to U.S. accredited investors. Subscribe below to receive our latest insights directly in your inbox.

For U.S. accredited investors only. Offered under Rule 506(c) of Regulation D. This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or tax advice. This is not an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy any security. Any investment may only be made through the Fund's confidential offering documents. Investing involves risk, including possible loss of capital. Digital assets are volatile and subject to changing regulations.