SEC’s Hester Peirce: We don’t have to regulate crypto through the courtroom

Hester Peirce reiterated Tuesday that court cases are not the only path to regulatory clarity for crypto, but her colleagues do not always agree

article-image

SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce | Montinique Monroe for Blockworks

share

US Securities and Exchange Commission Commissioner Hester Peirce reiterated Tuesday that court cases are not the only path to regulatory clarity for crypto.

“I will say that litigation is not the most effective way to carry out regulations,” Peirce said during an appearance on Bloomberg TV Tuesday afternoon. “Certainly enforcement actions are one tool that we have in our toolbox, but we have other tools.” 

Peirce’s comments come amid reports that Binance and CEO Changpeng Zhao will plead guilty and pay more than $4 billion in a deal with the Department of Justice. Zhao will also step down from his position, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

“I can’t talk about ongoing cases,” Peirce said. “But I will say that with all of these cases that move forward, we should really be thinking proactively about building a regulatory framework…that would work and allow companies to do business in the United States, and that’s what I’m hoping we can work on in the coming months and years.” 

The DOJ, alongside the Commodity and Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), is slated to announce “separate but related cryptocurrency enforcement actions” Tuesday afternoon in Washington, DC. No officials from the SEC will be present, according to a statement from the DOJ. 

The SEC and DOJ did not respond to Blockworks’ request for comment. 

Today’s announcement will include information about the department’s settlement with Binance, according to Bloomberg News. 

In 2023, the SEC upped its number of enforcement actions by 3% from fiscal year 2022, data released last week shows. 

“Fiscal year 2023 was another highly productive and impactful year for the SEC’s enforcement efforts relating to crypto asset securities,” the agency wrote in the report. 

Peirce admitted that she does not always see eye-to-eye with other commissioners, but added that the agency’s approach to the crypto industry as a whole needs improvement. 

“I would take issue with the characterization that I’m an advocate for the industry,” she said. “What I’m an advocate for is people being able to come into the SEC and figure out…what regulations apply, and then comply with those regulations. 

“That’s where I think we’ve fallen down on the job, and I think that’s…where the conflict has sometimes arisen between me and my colleagues.”


Start your day with top crypto insights from David Canellis and Katherine Ross. Subscribe to the Empire newsletter.

Explore the growing intersection between crypto, macroeconomics, policy and finance with Ben Strack, Casey Wagner and Felix Jauvin. Subscribe to the On the Margin newsletter.

The Lightspeed newsletter is all things Solana, in your inbox, every day. Subscribe to daily Solana news from Jack Kubinec and Jeff Albus.

Tags

Upcoming Events

Salt Lake City, UT

MON - TUES, OCT. 7 - 8, 2024

Blockworks and Bankless in collaboration with buidlbox are excited to announce the second installment of the Permissionless Hackathon – taking place October 7-8 in Salt Lake City, Utah. We’ve partnered with buidlbox to bring together the brightest minds in crypto for […]

Salt Lake City, UT

WED - FRI, OCTOBER 9 - 11, 2024

Permissionless is a conference for founders, application developers, and users. Come meet the next generation of people building and using crypto.

recent research

Unlocked by Template (2).jpg

Research

Vertex has established itself as a formidable player in the perps DEX landscape. Its strategic approach to chain expansion, focusing on EVM-compatible networks and leveraging incentive programs, has proven largely successful. The reduced time-to-launch for each new chain integration highlights the team's growing expertise and the scalability of their technology. As Vertex continues to expand, it is well-positioned to capitalize on the increasing fragmentation of the perpetual DEX market, potentially consolidating liquidity across multiple chains through its Edge technology.

article-image

Plus, the latest entrant into the crypto fund game

article-image

The goal of Tuesday’s inaugural Congressional hearing on DeFi was to “explore emerging topics” in digital assets, Rep. French Hill said

article-image

Blockworks Research analyst predicts 2025 will be a big year for economic changes on Solana

article-image

A tech industry coalition executive last week urged moderators to ask about crypto, noting that “passing bipartisan digital asset regulations is front and center this election cycle”

article-image

BitGo’s using a 1-2-of-3 decentralized verifier network involving LayerZero Labs and Polyhedra

article-image

The challenge of securing our digital world lies in developing conflict-resistant digital infrastructure