- SEC’s roundtable will address the classification of digital assets under securities law.
- Experts will discuss the SEC’s recent stance on “meme coins” and their classification.
- Public participation will guide future decisions on the general crypto asset regulation.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is preparing to host its first Crypto Roundtable on Friday at 1 pm ET. The conference, titled “How We Got Here and How We Get Out—Defining Security Status,” will explore important issues surrounding the oversight of crypto assets. This event will take place in Washington DC and will be live-streamed on the official site of the regulatory agency.
The discussion sets the perfect image of an important moment for the SEC’s approach to digital assets. As the commission aims to clarify the stage for digital assets, this event will provide a platform for discussing security status and investor protection in the context of crypto markets. SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce, head of the SEC’s Crypto Task Force, insisted on the matter of reaching out to the general public, emphasizing that “the roundtables are an important part of our engagement with the public.”
Key Topics and Participants
The main focus of the discussion will be the classification of digital assets under federal securities laws. The roundtable will feature a diverse panel of experts, including Collins Belton, Managing Partner of Brookwood P.C., Sarah Brennan, General Counsel of Delphi Ventures, Chris Brummer, Professor of Financial Technology at Georgetown Law, and Lewis Cohen, Co-Chair of CahillNXT. These experts are expected to provide a range of insights on how digital assets, including newer forms like “meme coins,” should be classified in legal terms.
One key thing to be addressed is the stance of the SEC on “meme coins.” Recently, they have stated that the assets fall under the collectibles rather than the securities purview, according to the SEC-US Division of Corporation Finance. This certainly raises the bar in the sense of how assets have been previously treated concerning the praise and criticism attached to the Howey Test in defining whether or not certain assets qualify as securities. The debate on this could possibly influence future regulatory approaches, thus giving clarity to market participants.
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A Platform for Public Participation
The roundtable will begin with opening remarks followed by a moderated panel discussion. The event will be capped off with a Q&A session. Also, the event would be live-streamed on the official site of the SEC, for those who couldn’t attend the venue. It represents the primary thrust of the SEC towards accessibility. Further, the roundtable will be open for the public to share their insights. Led by Acting SEC chairman Mark Uyeda, the Crypto Task Force, formed in January, seeks to clarify uncertain legal boundaries for crypto assets. In organizing a series of public engagements, the commission aims and hopes to build a cryptocurrency regulatory framework balancing investor protection with innovation.
