The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) are set to host a public roundtable on September 29, 2025, at the SEC headquarters in Washington, D.C. This event is designed to shed light on regulations surrounding the cryptocurrency market, with a specific focus on decentralized finance (DeFi) and innovative products such as perpetual contracts.
This initiative comes in the wake of a joint staff statement emphasizing the agencies’ commitment to regulatory harmonization. The roundtable will take place from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and will also be streamed live on the SEC’s website. The focus will be on refining reporting and data standards, as well as streamlining product definitions to enhance market efficiency. SEC Chairman Paul Atkins and CFTC Acting Chairman Caroline Pham have articulated their goal of creating an environment conducive to innovation while ensuring market competitiveness.
As part of a broader strategy to clarify regulatory frameworks for the crypto industry, both chairman expressed optimism about this new collaborative approach. “It is a new day at the SEC and CFTC,” they stated in a joint announcement, highlighting their intention to build a cohesive regulatory landscape beneficial to market participants and investors alike.
The roundtable will cover various topics, including the operation of 24/7 markets, event contracts, and the implications of DeFi on existing regulatory guidelines. The SEC and CFTC are expected to explore ways to harmonize their regulations, potentially reducing obstacles to innovation while also addressing necessary capital and margin frameworks. There may also be discussions around grants of exemptions for novel crypto products.
Early this month, the SEC and CFTC issued a joint statement clarifying that U.S. exchanges may list and facilitate trading for specific spot crypto assets, provided they comply with existing regulations. This announcement aims to alleviate uncertainties within the industry, as many stakeholders have been seeking explicit guidelines regarding the regulatory status of digital assets.
They encouraged market participants to communicate directly with staff members regarding any concerns or queries they may have. This move has been widely viewed as a significant step toward offering clearer definitions and structures within the crypto marketplace, potentially allowing for a more comprehensive array of crypto products for U.S. investors.
The upcoming roundtable is part of SEC’s Project Crypto and CFTC’s Crypto Sprint, initiatives that target the escalating demand for regulatory transparency in the swiftly evolving digital asset landscape. This effort is also a continuation of recommendations from the President’s Working Group on Digital Asset Markets. Furthermore, the U.S. Federal Reserve is scheduled to host a conference in October to examine stablecoin business models and tokenization.
By timely addressing regulatory challenges, both the SEC and CFTC aim to create a favorable regulatory environment that protects investors while encouraging innovation. Their ongoing efforts seek to position the U.S. as a pioneering force in the global digital asset market. The discussions anticipated during the roundtable are likely to significantly influence future regulatory policies, paving the way for the continued development of the cryptocurrency sector in the U.S.
