SEC’s “Spring Sprint” Brings Four New Crypto Roundtables on DeFi, Tokenization, and Regulation

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is ramping up its engagement with the crypto industry through a series of expert roundtables, signaling a shift away from enforcement-first tactics. Led by Commissioner Hester Peirce, the SEC’s Crypto Task Force kicked off its “Spring Sprint Toward Crypto Clarity” last week in Washington, D.C., with a discussion among industry lawyers on token security classification.

Four more roundtable discussions are scheduled this spring, covering key issues including crypto trading, custody, tokenization, and decentralized finance (DeFi). The next session, titled “Between a Block and a Hard Place: Tailoring Regulation for Crypto Trading”, will be held on April 11. Future dates include April 25 for crypto custody, May 12 for tokenization, and June 6 for DeFi. All events will be hosted in Washington, D.C., and livestreamed for public access.

Peirce emphasized the goal of the roundtables is to create a transparent dialogue between regulators and industry experts. “These discussions help us understand the regulatory challenges and how we can build practical, effective solutions,” she said.

This initiative marks a significant departure from the SEC’s previous approach under former Chair Gary Gensler, which heavily relied on enforcement actions. With current leadership including Acting Chair Mark Uyeda, the Commission is showing a more collaborative stance, aiming to provide clearer guidance and foster a better working relationship with the crypto sector.

As the SEC explores a more constructive regulatory path, these roundtables may help shape the future of U.S. crypto policy, offering the industry a seat at the table in defining its own compliance framework.