SEC Weighs Privacy Tech to Shape Crypto’s Future

The Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Crypto Task Force has announced a public roundtable focused on financial surveillance and privacy, scheduled for October 17, 2025, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the SEC headquarters in Washington, D.C. The event follows a series of roundtables initiated under the "Spring Sprint Toward Crypto Clarity" initiative, along with the President’s Executive Order on Digital Assets and the President’s Working Group on Digital Assets report. Commissioner Hester M. Peirce has directed the task force to take further steps to enhance U.S. leadership in digital assets and fintech while safeguarding economic liberty [1].

The roundtable aims to bring together experts in privacy-enhancing technologies and to facilitate discussions on policy matters related to financial surveillance. Peirce emphasized the importance of privacy-protecting tools, noting that such technologies empower individuals to control the sharing of sensitive data and protect against malicious actors. This aligns with the SEC’s ongoing efforts to develop policy solutions for the crypto space [1].

The event is open to the public, with in-person attendance requiring registration. A live stream will be available on SEC.gov, and a recording will be posted later. The agenda and speaker list are expected to be published on the Crypto Task Force’s webpage in the coming weeks. Prior to the roundtable, Peirce is scheduled to speak at DC Fintech Week and the DC Privacy Summit [1].

The SEC’s Crypto Task Force was launched in January 2025 to clarify regulatory lines, streamline registration processes, and create sensible disclosure frameworks for the crypto industry. The task force has already held five roundtables on digital asset regulation since the departure of former SEC Chair Gary Gensler. The upcoming event will be the sixth in a series of 10 planned meetings, underscoring the commission’s commitment to addressing key regulatory issues in the evolving crypto market [2].

Recent developments have seen the SEC proposing rule changes that could significantly affect the industry, including exemptions and safe harbors for the offer and sale of crypto assets. These changes aim to reduce the regulatory burden on U.S. crypto companies by modifying broker-dealer financial responsibility rules [2]. In parallel, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), under Acting Chair Caroline Pham, has indicated a shift toward following the White House’s guidance on crypto policy [2].

The roundtable comes amid broader regulatory shifts in the U.S. capital markets. The SEC and CFTC are exploring a potential transition to 24/7 trading for crypto derivatives and spot trading, in line with the July recommendations from the President’s Working Group on Digital Asset Markets. These moves suggest a trend toward adapting traditional financial infrastructure to the unique features of crypto markets [2]. However, the authority of both agencies may soon be reshaped by the Responsible Financial Innovation Act, a Senate-proposed bill that aims to overhaul the regulatory landscape for digital assets [2].

In related developments, the SEC has received numerous written submissions from industry participants, including proposals for new regulatory categories and frameworks for digital asset custody, tokenization, and post-quantum security. These submissions reflect a growing emphasis on aligning regulatory practices with technological advancements and ensuring compliance with evolving global standards [3]. The submissions also highlight the need for clarity in the classification of tokens and the treatment of smart contracts, which are central to the operation of decentralized financial systems [3].

Source:

[1] SEC (2025-114) - 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] Coindesk - SEC’s Financial Surveillance and Privacy Crypto Task Force Roundtable (https://cointelegraph.com/news/sec-financial-surveillance-privacy-crypto-task-force)

[3] SEC - Written Input Submissions to the Crypto Task Force (https://www.sec.gov/about/crypto-task-force/crypto-task-force-written-input)