On 8 September 2025, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (US SEC) announced that its Crypto Task Force will host a public roundtable on financial surveillance and privacy. The event is scheduled for 17 October 2025, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., at the US SEC headquarters in Washington D.C. The roundtable follows the Spring Sprint Toward Crypto Clarity series of discussions, the President’s Executive Order on Digital Assets, and the President’s Working Group on Digital Assets report. Commissioner Hester M. Peirce has directed the US SEC CryptoTask Force to advance United States leadership in digital assets and financial technology while safeguarding economic liberty. The roundtable will convene experts developing privacy-preserving technologies and regulators examining policy responses to financial surveillance. The event is open to the public, with registration required for in-person attendance, and will be streamed live on SEC.gov.
Commissioner Peirce directed the Task Force to: “promote United States leadership in digital assets and financial technology while protecting economic liberty.” Commissioner Peirce stated: “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.”
US SEC Roundtable Agenda and Scope
The Financial Surveillance and Privacy roundtable will feature panel discussions with innovators in privacy-preserving technologies and policymakers assessing surveillance frameworks. The US SEC roundtable will provide a forum for in-depth exploration of recent privacy tools and their implications for crypto markets, financial regulation, and consumer protection.
Commissioner Peirce on Privacy and Economic Liberty
Commissioner Hester M. Peirce stated that privacy-preserving technology empowers individuals to safeguard sensitive data and avoid exploitation. She added that understanding these technological advances will support the US SEC and other financial regulators in developing sound policy frameworks for the crypto economy.
US SEC Crypto Task Force and Institutional Background
The US SEC, under then-Acting Chairman Mark T. Uyeda, launched the Crypto Task Force on 21 January 2025 to clarify regulatory boundaries, provide pathways to registration, design disclosure standards, and enforce securities laws in the digital asset sector. The Task Force continues to engage the public, offering opportunities for direct communication and meetings on crypto-related regulatory concerns.
Compliance for Crypto Entities
For exchanges, custodians, and digital asset service providers, this roundtable signals heightened regulatory attention to privacy and data use in crypto transactions. Entities should anticipate:
- Closer examination of privacy-enhancing technologies within compliance frameworks.
- Potential disclosure and reporting standards focused on financial surveillance practices.
- Expanded dialogue between regulators and industry on balancing investor protection with economic liberty.
Geopolitical Regulatory Stance
The US SEC’s focus on financial surveillance and privacy resonates beyond the United States, as cross-border regulatory cooperation increasingly emphasises data protection, anti-money laundering, and investor rights. US SEC shaping global debates on privacy in digital finance, intersects with international efforts, European Union and Asia, regulators are reconciling surveillance powers with privacy rights in decentralised markets.
“The discussion will be streamed live on SEC.gov, and a recording will be posted at a later date. Information regarding the agenda and roundtable speakers will be posted on the Crypto Task Force webpage in the coming weeks.”
