The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has announced that its Crypto Task Force will embark on a nationwide tour, hosting a series of ten roundtables across the United States. This initiative aims to gather feedback from a wide array of stakeholders in the cryptocurrency industry, including developers, investors, and particularly, representatives from smaller, emerging crypto projects.
Commissioner Hester Peirce, who leads the Crypto Task Force, emphasized the importance of comprehensive outreach, stating that the task force is aware that any regulatory framework will have far-reaching effects. The roundtables are intended to provide a platform for those who may not have had the opportunity to participate in previous discussions, ensuring that diverse perspectives are considered in shaping future regulations. Peirce noted that the SEC wants to hear from people who were not able to travel for the roundtables that took place this past spring in Washington, D.C. and may not have had a voice in past policymaking efforts.
The Crypto Task Force is especially interested in engaging with representatives from crypto-related projects that have ten or fewer employees and are less than two years old. The SEC is encouraging interested parties to request to join the roundtable conversations in any of the cities on the schedule. Those wishing to participate can email crypto@sec.gov with the subject line “Crypto on the Road” and include the name of the city where they would like to meet. The email should also include the attendee's name and a brief description of their team and project. To promote transparency, the Crypto Task Force plans to post a list of the projects that participate in these meetings.
The roundtable schedule includes stops in the following cities:
This initiative follows the launch of "Project Crypto," which addresses key issues in the crypto industry, such as the classification of crypto assets and the registration of crypto products. It also aligns with a broader shift towards a more collaborative approach to crypto regulation, with the SEC dropping enforcement actions against several high-profile firms and signaling a willingness to engage in open dialogue with industry participants. The SEC's outreach builds on previous roundtables that included participation from major players and earlier discussions focused on key issues such as crypto custody, tokenization, and decentralized finance. By expanding this dialogue, the task force aims to ensure that diverse perspectives are considered in shaping future regulations.
