A major shift in U.S. market structure could reshape how retail traders access financial markets, with potential spillover effects for the crypto market.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has approved a proposal from Financial Industry Regulatory Authority to eliminate the long-standing $25,000 minimum equity requirement tied to “pattern day trader” accounts.
The rule, which has governed U.S. equity trading for years, required traders executing frequent intraday trades to maintain a minimum balance — effectively limiting active trading to higher-capital participants.
That requirement will now be replaced by a real-time, intraday margin system that assesses risk continuously rather than using fixed thresholds.
