A change of guard at the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is powering a shift away from cryptocurrency enforcement. Under new leadership, the US SEC is narrowing its focus on traditional securities cases driven by a handful of factors.
US SEC Turns Its Gaze Away From Crypto Enforcement
According to a Reuters report, the US SEC is bringing down the curtain on its five-year rampage against the cryptocurrency industry. Going forward, the Commission will focus its resources on traditional cases involving corporate and individual securities fraud.
The SEC’s interim Enforcement Director Sam Waldon revealed that the Commission will give priority to individual cases. During the Gary Gensler administration, the SEC directed the bulk of its resources toward crypto enforcement against industry giants.
With Gensler out of the picture and new brass coming on board, the SEC is changing its stance. Paul Atkins is set to face a nomination hearing at Capitol Hill this week, signaling a breath of fresh air for the Commission.
For starters, a string of case dismissals against cryptocurrency companies, particularly the Ripple SEC case, accentuates a change in strategy. Furthermore, declarations that memecoins are not securities and exempting Proof-of-Work mining from securities obligations underscores the point.
Securities Watchdog Does Not Have The Numbers To Sustain Crypto Enforcement
Apart from new leadership, a key factor in the Commission’s changing stance lies in its dwindling staff strength. The SEC is recovering from a gale of exodus following plans by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk to reduce the government’s workforce.
“Creativity is probably not where we want to be,” said Waldon, hinting at a steep drop in employee numbers.
A restructuring of the defunct Crypto Assets and Cyber Unit and the launch of a Crypto Task Force signals a change in direction. The Crypto Task Force is pursuing roundtables with ecosystem players rather than regulation by enforcement that characterized the SEC.
The SEC has to respond to a FOIA request filed by Coinbase seeking clarity over the financial implications of its five-year enforcement over the cryptocurrency industry.
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