The SEC’s 2025 guideline clarifies the regulatory stance regarding crypto staking. It states what is and isn’t allowed and how you can stake lawfully.
The SEC has clarified that solo staking, delegated staking and custodial staking, when tied directly to a network’s consensus process, do not qualify as securities offerings.
Post May 29 guideline, rewards earned from network validation are seen as compensation for services, not profits from the efforts of others, removing them from the Howey test classification.
Validators, node operators and retail or institutional stakers can now participate without fear of regulatory uncertainty, encouraging wider adoption of PoS networks.
