FameEX Hot Topics | SEC Expands Crypto Focus With Four Roundtables on Trading, Custody, Tokenization, and DeFi

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has announced a new series of four public roundtables focused on key areas of the cryptocurrency industry. Building on its first crypto roundtable held on March 21, the SEC’s Crypto Task Force plans to dive into major topics such as crypto trading, custody, tokenization, and decentralized finance (DeFi). The upcoming sessions are scheduled to begin on April 11 with a discussion on crypto trading regulation, followed by a session on custody on April 25, tokenization and onchain asset movement on May 12, and a final roundtable on DeFi on June 6.

These roundtables are led by SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce, who chairs the Crypto Task Force. She stated that the sessions are intended to encourage robust conversations among experts about the pressing regulatory challenges facing the crypto industry. Although the specific speakers and agendas have not yet been announced, the SEC confirmed that each roundtable will be open to the public, either through online streaming or in-person attendance at the agency’s Washington, D.C. headquarters. Peirce emphasized the importance of these discussions in helping the SEC refine its approach to the fast-changing digital asset landscape.

The SEC’s Crypto Task Force was launched on January 21, just one day after former Chair Gary Gensler stepped down. Acting SEC Chair Mark Uyeda initiated the task force with the goal of crafting a practical regulatory framework tailored for the crypto sector. The first roundtable, held in March, explored how the current regulatory position on crypto assets was developed and examined ways the agency might evolve, under the theme “How We Got Here and How We Get Out — Defining Security Status.”

In parallel with its crypto efforts, the SEC will also host a separate roundtable on March 27 to examine the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in financial markets. This session will cover the potential benefits, risks, and governance concerns surrounding AI technologies. Commissioners Uyeda, Peirce, and Caroline Crenshaw are expected to participate, highlighting the SEC’s broader focus on emerging technologies and their regulatory implications.

Uyeda’s leadership has marked a shift from the SEC’s prior hardline stance on crypto. Since taking office, he has reversed some of the more aggressive proposals introduced under the Biden administration, including a rule to tighten crypto custody rules for advisers. He has also pushed for scaling back regulations requiring crypto platforms to register as exchanges, signaling a more balanced and adaptive approach to crypto regulation.

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