The U.S. SEC's enforcement actions in fiscal year 2026 decreased by 23.7%, with a focus on cryptocurrency cases

According to Cointelegraph, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) initiated 348 enforcement actions in fiscal year 2026, a decrease of 23.7% from 456 in the previous fiscal year, marking the lowest number since 1991. The enforcement results for that year included cases involving alleged cryptocurrency fraud and failures in the audit of FTX.

The SEC stated that it has charged three so-called cryptocurrency trading platforms and four investment clubs for participating in a scheme that allegedly defrauded investors of at least $14 million; in another case, the founder of a Bitcoin mining company was accused of misappropriating $48.5 million, with the company having previously raised over $95.6 million from approximately 6,400 investors. In April, the SEC reached a settlement with Francis Decker, a partner at Prager Metis, responsible for the audit of FTX, regarding the failure to meet professional auditing standards. Fiscal year 2026 was the first full fiscal year under SEC Chairman Paul Atkins, with independent enforcement actions decreasing from 303 in the previous year to 235.