The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has announced that they will be hosting a public roundtable on June 9, 2025, focusing on decentralized finance (DeFi). The event, titled “DeFi and the American Spirit,” will be held at the SEC headquarters in Washington, D.C., and will be livestreamed online.
This roundtable is part of the SEC’s “Spring Sprint Toward Crypto Clarity” series and will take place from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM ET. The event is open to both in-person and virtual participants, continuing the agency’s efforts to provide more clarity on crypto-related matters.
Top officials and experts in the field will be joining the discussion. SEC Chair Paul S. Atkins will be in attendance, along with Commissioners Caroline A. Crenshaw, Mark T. Uyeda, and Hester M. Peirce. Former Commissioner Troy Paredes will moderate the panel discussions, which will feature speakers such as Jill Gunter, Omid Malekan, Michael Mosier, Rebecca Rettig, Gabe Shapiro, Peter Van Valkenburgh, Erik Voorhees, Kevin Werbach, and Michael Jordan.
The agenda for the roundtable will focus on the regulation and innovation of DeFi technologies. Panelists will explore how decentralized systems operate without central intermediaries, the application of existing regulatory frameworks, and the challenges regulators face in enforcing securities laws in decentralized environments. They will also discuss peer-to-peer smart contracts, legal risks associated with governance tokens, and the interaction of investor protection laws with the design of DeFi systems.
Following the panel discussion, the SEC will host a town hall session where audience members can ask questions. Online viewers will also have the opportunity to submit questions via email during the live event. This public input segment aims to provide the SEC with valuable insight into how industry experts and the public view the role of regulation in decentralized systems.
This roundtable is the fifth in a series of SEC events focusing on different aspects of the crypto industry. It comes at a time when there is increasing pressure on regulators to provide clarity on how U.S. laws apply to crypto. Lawmakers have introduced bipartisan bills, such as the FIT21 Act and the Lummis-Gillibrand framework, seeking to establish clearer guidelines for digital assets.
DeFi advocates have called for minimal regulation, citing the decentralized nature of open-source protocols. However, critics argue that DeFi systems may involve centralized parties beneath the surface. The participation of figures like Erik Voorhees and Peter Van Valkenburgh suggests a potential debate between strict legal interpretation and permissionless innovation.
In conclusion, the SEC’s roundtable on DeFi presents an opportunity for industry experts and the public to engage in discussions on the regulation and innovation of decentralized finance. The event aims to gather valuable insights without introducing new rules. It will be interesting to see the perspectives shared by the panelists and the impact it may have on the future of DeFi regulation.