US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Commissioner Hester Peirce will embark on a 10-city tour this fall as part of the agency’s new crypto outreach initiative, announced on Friday. The aim is to gather feedback from industry stakeholders, developers and investors regarding future digital asset regulations.
Commissioner Peirce stated, “The Crypto Task Force is acutely aware that any regulatory framework will have far-reaching effects, and we want to ensure our outreach is as comprehensive as possible.”
Focus on Startups
The SEC’s Crypto Task Force specifically expressed interest in meeting with newer crypto entities, particularly those less than two years old and employing 10 or fewer individuals. Roundtable discussions, scheduled between August and December, will form the cornerstone of this engagement strategy.
SEC-sponsored roundtable discussions leading up to 2025 have previously included prominent voices from both the crypto and traditional finance spheres, such as a16z Crypto and asset management giant BlackRock. Past sessions have addressed critical topics like crypto regulation, custody solutions, tokenization, and decentralized finance (DeFi).
SEC’s Evolving Role
Established in 1934, the SEC is responsible for overseeing and enforcing US securities laws. Historically, the agency maintained an often adversarial relationship with the cryptocurrency industry. However, its approach has notably shifted under the current presidential administration, led by former President Donald Trump.
This recalibration is evident in the agency’s actions, such as the discontinuation of enforcement proceedings initiated against major players like Coinbase, Uniswap, and Kraken. There is now a stronger signal of openness towards dialogue with industry participants.
The specifics regarding prior SEC outreach efforts and associated costs remain undisclosed. The agency’s budget is determined through the annual congressional appropriations process. Cointelegraph requested comment but did not receive a response at the time of publication.
Related: Coinbase seeks SEC approval for ‘tokenized equities’ — Report
Trump Administration Crypto Policy
The SEC’s proactive outreach emerges shortly after President Trump declared the United States would become the “world capital of crypto.”
On July 18, Trump signed the ‘Creating Legitimacy and Efficiency for Innovation Using Sound Stablecoins’ (GENIUS) Act, a piece of legislation regulating stablecoins and their issuers. This move was viewed positively by the cryptocurrency industry. Concurrently, the ‘Clarifying Law Regarding Stabilitycoin and Innovative Exchanges’ (CLARITY) Act has passed the House of Representatives, while the Senate considers similar legislation addressing crypto market structure.
Other federal agencies are aligning with the administration’s apparent pro-crypto stance. In June, the Federal Reserve removed a “reputational risk” category often cited for debanking crypto firms. The US Department of the Treasury Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has also eased restrictions on bank participation in the cryptocurrency sector.
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