The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission issued fresh staff accounting guidance late 4 Aug., stating that certain fully collateralised U.S.-dollar stablecoins may be classified as cash equivalents on corporate balance sheets, provided holders have an enforceable right to redeem the tokens at par value. The clarification builds on initial crypto accounting rules released earlier this year and is intended as an interim measure while the agency develops broader regulations for digital-asset securities. By allowing qualifying stablecoins to be booked alongside cash and short-term Treasury bills, the SEC aims to remove what market participants had described as a major accounting barrier to traditional financial institutions entering the sector. SEC Chair Paul Atkins said the move forms part of a wider effort to revise policies viewed as overly restrictive and to provide "workable rules of the road" until Congress finalises stablecoin legislation. Industry groups welcomed the guidance, noting it could lower compliance costs for banks and funds that use dollar-pegged tokens for payments, settlements and liquidity management.