"Regulators Set Stage for Privacy Tech Showdown in Crypto Era"

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Crypto Task Force is set to host a public roundtable on financial surveillance and privacy on October 17, 2025, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the SEC headquarters in Washington, D.C. The event follows a series of roundtables under the Spring Sprint Toward Crypto Clarity initiative, as well as the President’s Executive Order on Digital Assets and the President’s Working Group on Digital Assets report. The roundtable aims to facilitate a discussion on the development of privacy-protecting technologies and related policy issues in the financial sector. Commissioner Hester M. Peirce emphasized the importance of privacy technology in empowering individuals to control the sharing of sensitive data and in aiding regulators in crafting policies in the evolving crypto space [1].

The event will feature panelists at the forefront of privacy innovation and will be open to the public, with registration required for in-person attendance. Security checks will be conducted for attendees, while the discussion will also be streamed live on SEC.gov. A recording of the session will be available afterward, with details on the agenda and speakers expected to be published on the Crypto Task Force webpage in the coming weeks [1]. Prior to the roundtable, Commissioner Peirce will participate in DC Fintech Week and the DC Privacy Summit, further underscoring the task force's engagement with key fintech and privacy stakeholders.

The Crypto Task Force, established in January 2025, is tasked with helping the SEC clarify regulatory boundaries, establish realistic registration pathways, design effective disclosure frameworks, and efficiently deploy enforcement resources in the crypto domain. The task force also encourages public engagement, allowing individuals to request meetings or submit feedback on relevant topics [1]. The initiative reflects the broader regulatory efforts to align with global market dynamics and technological advancements in digital assets.

In parallel with the privacy-focused roundtable, the SEC and Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) have jointly explored the feasibility of shifting U.S. financial markets toward a 24/7 operational model, inspired by the continuous nature of crypto trading. This proposed shift is seen as a step toward aligning traditional financial systems with the global, always-on economy. The agencies acknowledged, however, that a one-size-fits-all approach may not be viable across all asset classes [3].

Regulators also emphasized the need for clarity on event contracts and perpetual futures in crypto derivatives, which lack an expiry date and are commonly traded in offshore markets. The agencies suggested that bringing these products onshore could facilitate broader regulatory oversight and market integration. Furthermore, the joint statement highlighted the importance of the right to self-custody assets and the potential for innovation exemptions that would allow peer-to-peer (P2P) trading of crypto assets and derivatives through decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols [4].

Both the SEC and CFTC have emphasized the convergence of securities and non-securities markets, particularly in the context of digital assets. This has led to increased coordination between the two agencies as they navigate the complex regulatory landscape of the crypto sector. The recent statement reaffirmed that current U.S. law does not prohibit registered exchanges from facilitating the trading of certain spot crypto assets, signaling a move toward greater flexibility in market operations [4].

Source:

[1] SEC Crypto Task Force Host Roundtable on Financial Surveillance and Privacy (https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2025-114-sec-crypto-task-force-host-roundtable-financial-surveillance-privacy)

[2] US SEC Crypto Task Force to Host Roundtable on Financial Surveillance and Privacy (https://www.mlex.com/mlex/financial-services/articles/2385645/us-sec-crypto-task-force-to-host-roundtable-on-financial-surveillance-privacy)

[3] SEC and CFTC Propose Shift to 24/7 Financial Markets and Regulations for Crypto Derivatives (https://cointelegraph.com/news/sec-cftc-statement-24-7-capital-markets)

[4] Wall Street May Soon Trade Like Crypto, SEC and CFTC Propose 24/7 Market Operations (https://finance.yahoo.com/news/wall-street-may-soon-trade-183522452.html)