Expanded regulatory authority proposed by Treasury, according to Bessent
In January 2025, Scott Bessent was appointed as the Treasury Secretary under President Donald Trump's administration. Since then, Bessent has been tasked with shaping the financial regulatory landscape.
One of the key areas of focus under Bessent's leadership is the promotion of digital finance innovation. The administration has shown a clear push towards supporting blockchain and cryptocurrencies, aiming to position the United States as a global leader in the crypto industry. This push includes ending regulatory hostility towards digital assets and positioning the U.S. as a hub for crypto innovation.
However, the publicly available search results do not provide detailed, specific information on financial regulatory reforms proposed by Treasury Secretary Bessent, specifically targeting regulatory tailoring, supervision, capital requirements, liquidity, or anti-money laundering/countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) as of August 2025.
What is known is that Bessent has expressed concerns about leverage capital restrictions being too frequently binding. He also plans to reassess the cost benefits of the liquidity framework and the shift to safe assets, which may impact loan availability.
Moreover, Bessent has shown a concern for community banks being unduly burdened by compliance requirements and plans to push for more tailored regulation for these banks. He also advocates for the U.S. to conduct its own analysis for determining the right framework for revamping capital requirements, rather than outsourcing to international bodies like the Basel committee.
Bessent's focus also includes ensuring smaller, community banks matter more in bank regulation. He believes that policy is personnel, and he has a capable team for implementing changes.
The Financial Stability Oversight Council and the President's Working Group on Financial Markets are potential forums for the Treasury's greater role in financial regulation. The Treasury also plans to improve exam procedures, bolster its monitoring of examiners' compliance, and implement more realistic processes for banks to appeal supervisory findings.
Regulators will revisit the role of the discount window and federal home loan banks in internal liquidity stress testing and bank contingency funding plans. The Treasury also plans to refocus bank supervision on material financial risk and drive a change in the culture of supervision.
In terms of AML/CFT, Bessent plans to advocate for changes to these rules, focusing on national security priorities and higher-risk areas. He also seeks to review regulatory impediments to blockchain, stablecoin, and new payment systems.
Bessent's focus on crypto, blockchain, and fintech friendly policies, along with new savings vehicles like "Trump accounts," is clear. However, the specific proposed reforms or changes targeting regulatory tailoring, supervision, capital requirements, liquidity, or AML/CFT regulations in traditional finance sectors remain unclear as of August 2025.
If you seek more granular details on these regulatory areas, it may require reviewing official Treasury or regulatory agency releases, congressional proposals, or detailed policy statements not captured in the summarized search results.
- Scott Bessent's appointment as Treasury Secretary brought a focus on digital finance innovation.
- The United States aims to become a global leader in the crypto industry under Bessent's leadership.
- Bessent is concerned about leverage capital restrictions being too frequent.
- The liquidity framework and the shift to safe assets will be reassessed under Bessent's leadership.
- Community banks are unduly burdened by compliance requirements, according to Bessent.
- Bessent plans to push for more tailored regulation for community banks.
- Bessent's team is capable of implementing changes in policy.
- The Financial Stability Oversight Council and the President's Working Group on Financial Markets are potential forums for the Treasury's greater role in financial regulation.
- The Treasury plans to improve exam procedures and bolster its monitoring of examiners' compliance.
- Realistic processes for banks to appeal supervisory findings will be implemented.
- The role of the discount window and federal home loan banks will be revisited in internal liquidity stress testing.
- Bank supervision will be refocused on material financial risk under Bessent's leadership.
- Bessent plans to advocate for changes to AML/CFT rules, focusing on national security priorities.
- Regulatory impediments to blockchain, stablecoin, and new payment systems will be reviewed.
- Bessent's focus includes new savings vehicles like "Trump accounts."
- Specific reforms or changes targeting regulatory tailoring, supervision, capital requirements, liquidity, or AML/CFT regulations in traditional finance sectors remain unclear.
- Detailed policy statements may provide more granular information on these regulatory areas.
- Entrepreneurship in the fintech industry may see a boost due to Bessent's crypto and blockchain friendly policies.
- Venture capital may flow into fintech startups as a result of Bessent's policies.
- Careers in the financial sector, particularly in fintech, may become more attractive under Bessent's leadership.
- The developments in digital finance may lead to opportunities in venture capital and private equity.
- The smartening of finance through technologies like blockchain and fintech could impact personal finance and wealth management.
- In the home and garden space, smart home devices like those for interior-design and home-improvement could see increased adoption.
- Wearables and gadgets related to health and wellness, such as smartphones and fitness trackers, might experience growth due to the focus on digital finance innovation.
- The lifestyle sector, including food-and-drink, dining, outdoor-living, and sustainable-living, may be influenced by trends stemming from the digital finance revolution.
- The impact of digital finance innovation on deployment of AI in lifestyle industries, such as healthy-cooking and relationship management, should be monitored.
- Overall, the digital finance innovation pursued by Treasury Secretary Bessent carries potential implications for various sectors, from technology and lifestyle to dining and real-estate.