- The SEC’s roundtable aims to shape clear crypto trading regulations with experts.
- The event will include key industry leaders and SEC officials discussing crypto rules.
- The SEC’s evolving approach to cryptocurrency regulation reflects industry feedback.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has announced the upcoming roundtable titled “Between a Block and a Hard Place: Tailoring Regulation for Crypto Trading,” scheduled for April 11, 2025. This event will address how the SEC should regulate cryptocurrency trading, with a focus on creating clear and fair guidelines for the crypto industry. The roundtable will take place at the SEC’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The event will be webcast live on the SEC’s website, and the public is invited to attend.
Panelists and Structure
The roundtable will feature panelists from the New York Stock Exchange, Coinbase, Uniswap Labs, Cumberland DRW, and other key organizations. Participants include Tyler Gellasch, Jon Herrick, Richard Johnson, Dave Lauer, Katherine Minarik, Christine Parlour, Chelsea Pizzola, Austin Reid, and Gregory Tusar.
From 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., the SEC will hold a regulatory direction discussion, where industry experts and SEC officials will debate the best ways to regulate the sector. The event will be open to the public, and attendees can submit questions and suggestions via note cards in the lobby or through email at crypto@sec.gov.
SEC’s Shift in Crypto Regulation
This roundtable is part of the SEC’s broader effort, known as the “Spring Sprint Toward Crypto Clarity,” which aims to provide more precise and comprehensive guidelines for cryptocurrency regulation. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has already started discussions on the legal categorization of crypto assets in its previous session on March 21. In addition, other future discussions will affect specific issues, such as decentralized finance (DeFi), tokenization, and custody.
Notably, the SEC’s approach to cryptocurrency regulation has evolved significantly. During the Biden administration, the SEC investigated companies like Uniswap Labs, Coinbase, and Cumberland DRW. Uniswap Labs never had enforcement action taken against it, while earlier in the year, the SEC withdrew its complaints against Coinbase and Cumberland DRW. This deviation suggests that the SEC will collaborate more with the industry to develop future regulations.
Related: SEC Schedules Four New Crypto Roundtables This Year: Report
Support from Other Agencies
The SEC’s efforts to redefine the crypto regulatory stance are supported by other government agencies. The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), chaired by Elon Musk, is actively reviewing and recommending the reduction of certain regulatory rules. According to Acting Chair Mark Uyeda, five of the seven crypto-related staff-issued statements are currently under review.
Such guidelines include the post-FTX advisory on Bitcoin investments in December 2022, the 2019 Howey Test guidelines, etc. This review would dramatically change the ways cryptocurrencies are classified and regulated, especially in asset declaration and category identification.
