SEC Crypto Task Force Announces Roundtable on Financial Privacy and Surveillance

The SEC is zeroing in on privacy and surveillance in crypto, unleashing a high-stakes roundtable to spotlight cutting-edge tools redefining financial oversight and regulatory clarity.

SEC’s Upcoming Roundtable to Unpack Privacy Tools, Policy, and Crypto Oversight

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced on Sept. 8 that its Crypto Task Force will host a roundtable on financial surveillance and privacy at the agency’s Washington headquarters on Oct. 17. Scheduled from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., the session is intended to highlight how technology can help preserve privacy in the financial system while enabling regulators to address risks. According to the SEC:

The Financial Surveillance and Privacy roundtable will bring together panelists who are at the forefront of developing technologies designed to protect individual privacy. It will also facilitate an in-depth discussion on policy matters related to financial surveillance.

Commissioner Hester M. Peirce, who heads the Crypto Task Force, stressed the importance of new tools, stating: “Technology that helps Americans protect their privacy is critically important as it enables people to choose when and with whom to share sensitive data about themselves so they can be protected from bad actors. Understanding recent developments in privacy-protecting tools will assist the SEC and other financial regulators as we work on policy solutions in the crypto space.” The SEC added that the event will be open to the public, with in-person participants required to register and clear security checks.

Launched on Jan. 21, 2025, under Acting SEC Chairman Mark T. Uyeda, the Crypto Task Force aims to replace the often-criticized “regulation by enforcement” model with a clearer, more structured regulatory approach. Its goals include defining compliance paths, creating disclosure standards, and targeting enforcement more effectively through collaboration with industry, academia, and other regulators. The Task Force began its “Spring Sprint Toward Crypto Clarity” on March 21 with a session on crypto asset classification. Four more roundtables followed through June, covering DeFi, tokenization, custody, and trading. In the following months, it held sessions in cities like Dallas, Boston, and New York to involve early-stage crypto firms in shaping policy.