Crypto news is full of choices and rules that sound alike: a trust charter and a bank charter, a spot ETF and a staking ETF, the SEC and the CFTC. These pages put the options side by side in a table, explain the differences in plain language, and link to the reporting and primary sources behind each cell. For definitions, see our crypto glossary; for who runs each agency, see Who's Who in crypto regulation.
GENIUS Act vs. MiCA
Two big stablecoin regimes, built on similar ideas and different machinery. Here is where they match and where they split.
SEC vs. CFTC
Two agencies, two statutes, one overlapping market. This is the simplest accurate way to tell them apart, and what changed in 2026.
Trust vs. bank charter vs. state license
Crypto firms want to be regulated, but there are at least three different doors. They lead to very different rooms.
Spot ETF vs. staking ETF
A staking ETF is not a different kind of fund so much as a spot ETF with an extra job. That job changes the risks.
Hardware vs. software vs. custodial wallets
Three words get mixed up constantly: hardware, software and custodial. They answer two different questions, and mixing them up leads to bad assumptions.
How we build these comparisons
We compare categories, such as types of wallets or licenses, and we do not rank or recommend specific companies or products. Every factual claim is tied to a source named under the table, and we say so when a figure is an estimate or comes from a secondary source. Each page shows the date it was last reviewed, and we update the page when the underlying law or rule changes. If you spot an error, see our corrections policy.