Will the Round Table Program Reveal the Future of Crypto Assets?

Since the Commission published SEC v. Payward, Inc., 23-cv-06003 (N.D. Cal.) at the end of March, it has appeared that the Commission would not bring additional enforcement cases involving crypto assets. The case did not, however, specifically represent that the agency would no longer file enforcement actions involving alleged violations of the federal securities laws tied to crypto assets or be involved with crypto regulation. In the discussion about Payward the author of this publication did state that the agency was done with crypto regulation cases. But perhaps not.

Tomorrow the Commission will host a roundtable discussion titled “Between a Block and a Hard Place: Tailoring Regulation for Crypto Trading,” according to a press release issued April 7, 2025 (here). The announcement was issued by the Commission’s Crypto Task Force.

The point of the program is to hear the “public’s concerns and suggestions . . .[it] “helps the SEC create a clear, sensible, and fair path forward to the crypto industry” according to Commissioner Hester M. Peirce. The Commissioner went on to state that “I look forward to this roundtable and the rest of the series as we move toward crypto clarity for the benefit of the American public.”