Recent SEC and CFTC maneuvers signal a shift toward lighter oversight, while a split FTC allows major tech acquisitions to proceed, raising concerns about market capture and consumer costs.
The landscape of American market competition is undergoing a volatile shift as federal regulators signal a retreat from aggressive oversight. Recent actions by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) suggest a coordinated pivot toward a permissive environment for corporate consolidation. While proponents argue these moves stimulate growth, the long-term costs to market diversity remain a central concern for skeptics of concentrated power.
On August 18, SEC Chair Paul Atkins unveiled “Regulation Crypto Assets,” a framework designed to lower barriers for digital asset fundraising. The proposal includes significant exemptions for startups, allowing them to raise up to $75 million annually without traditional securities registration. The sudden advancement of this proposal followed an abrupt meeting cancellation on August 14, underscoring internal tension within the commission as it seeks to relax registration obligations. This shift is mirrored at the CFTC, which is leveraging its new Innovation Advisory Committee to discuss the “regulatory evolution” of digital assets and AI.
However, the exclusion of specific prediction-market firms from a recent White House crypto summit has fueled concerns that the administration is picking winners. Critics, including the watchdog group Better Markets, have accused the CFTC of collaborating too closely with the industries it regulates, warning that such proximity risks regulatory capture and expands the market power of dominant platforms. The implications extend into traditional antitrust enforcement; Bloomberg Law recently reported that the FTC cleared a major technology acquisition despite a split commission. With commissioners unable to agree on the deal’s competitive impact, the deadlock effectively allowed the merger to proceed, highlighting how institutional gridlock can facilitate industry concentration.
In the physical commodities sector, consolidation is equally visible. Greenland Mines Ltd recently secured regulatory approval for the Sarfartoq Nd-Pr Rare Earths Project. As memory chip prices skyrocket due to AI demand, the consolidation of critical mineral resources under fewer corporate banners poses a risk to supply chain resilience. When a few entities control the raw materials for electronics and cloud storage, price hikes are inevitably passed down to the consumer.
While financial markets reacted positively—with Bitcoin posting its best week in two years as investors seek hard assets—the broader economic picture is mixed. The Ludwig Institute reported that functional unemployment increased for the fourth consecutive month as of August 20, 2026. Furthermore, the Social Security Administration union has requested $3 billion in funding and 20,000 additional workers to address service gaps.
As the administration pressures Congress to pass a “fair” Clarity Act to divide SEC and CFTC jurisdiction, the reliance on agency rulemaking creates a period of uncertainty. For those who champion free-market competition, the concern is that these new exemptions and cleared mergers will create a permanent class of corporate incumbents, shielded from the competition that drives innovation. The current trajectory suggests that without a robust commitment to antitrust enforcement, corporate bigness will continue to outpace the protections afforded to the American public.
Greg Sanders serves as the Senior Correspondent for Corporate Power and Antitrust at Just Right News, where he brings a principled, conservative perspective to the complex intersection of big business, government regulation, and the American consumer. With a career dedicated to investigative depth and economic clarity, Greg has become a leading voice in examining how the consolidation of industry power impacts the foundational values of the free market and individual liberty.
Raised in Denver, Colorado, Greg’s reporting is deeply informed by the Western spirit of independence and a healthy skepticism of centralized authority. Growing up in the shadows of the Rockies, he witnessed firsthand the importance of local entrepreneurship and the vital role that small-medium enterprises play in sustaining vibrant communities. This upbringing instilled in him a belief that the American Dream is best preserved when the playing field remains level and when competition—rather than backroom deals between corporate lobbyists and federal regulators—dictates success. For Greg, the rugged individualism of his home state serves as a constant reminder that the economy should serve the people, not the other way around.
Now based in Chicago, Illinois, Greg operates from the heart of the nation’s industrial and financial crossroads. His location in the Midwest provides him with a unique vantage point to observe the real-world consequences of corporate overreach. From the boardrooms of the Loop to the manufacturing hubs that define the region, he tracks the movement of capital and the shifting tides of market influence. Chicago’s history as a center of trade and labor offers a rich backdrop for his work, allowing him to bridge the gap between high-level economic theory and the lived experiences of hardworking Americans who feel the squeeze of monopolistic practices.
At Just Right News, Greg’s beat focuses on the “new monopolies” and the rise of “woke” corporate culture. He argues that when corporations become too large, they often abandon their fiduciary duties to shareholders in favor of social engineering and political posturing. His reporting seeks to hold these “Titans” accountable, ensuring that the power of the purse is not used to silence dissent or bypass the democratic process. He is a firm advocate for the idea that true conservatism requires a vigilant defense of competition, preventing any single entity—public or private—from exerting undue control over the lives of citizens.
This mission is most clearly seen in his acclaimed feature series, “The Titans and the Toll.” In this ongoing project, Greg explores the human cost of market consolidation, from the erosion of consumer choice to the decline of local economies. Through rigorous analysis and boots-on-the-ground reporting, he documents how the concentration of power in sectors like tech, agriculture, and finance creates a “toll” paid by the average family.
Greg Sanders remains committed to the idea that a transparent, competitive market is the greatest engine for prosperity ever devised. Through his work at Just Right News, he continues to provide the essential oversight necessary to protect that engine from the encroaching influence of corporate giants and the bureaucratic structures that enable them.