Key Highlights
- SEC releases agenda for its December 15 roundtable on financial surveillance and crypto privacy.
- Early discussions underscore tensions following the Tornado Cash and Samourai Wallet cases.
- Enterprises, including Ondo Finance, continue urging the SEC to establish clear tokenization rules.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has announced the agenda and panelists for its Roundtable on Financial Surveillance and Privacy, set for December 15 at its Washington, D.C. headquarters. Led by Commissioner Hester Peirce and the Crypto Task Force, the event will examine how crypto technologies fit within U.S. surveillance and compliance rules and will be open to the public online.
The roundtable comes as regulators, exchanges, and developers face heightened scrutiny of privacy tools following cases tied to Tornado Cash and Samourai Wallet. The SEC stressed that participation does not imply endorsement.
Early discussions
Observers are questioning how crypto privacy tools fit within current surveillance rules as the SEC examines zero-knowledge systems, mixers, and non-custodial apps.
With these technologies spreading across chains, the agency faces pressure to clarify responsibilities. The December 15 roundtable will feature differing views from regulators and industry participants.
SEC’s upcoming roundtable
According to the SEC, the roundtable will examine how new technologies might adjust financial-surveillance practices while preserving civil liberties. Discussions will cover how privacy tools work, the role of cryptographic proofs, and whether current reporting rules can adapt to decentralized systems.
Panelists will include regulators, researchers, and industry participants. The SEC noted that the event will not set rules but will inform future policy work, similar to other non-rulemaking sessions on crypto and market structure.
Industry pressure builds
The announcement comes as companies push for clearer digital-asset rules. On December 5, Ondo Finance urged the SEC to create compliant pathways for tokenized Treasuries and other RWAs, arguing they already fit within existing securities laws and should be available to retail and institutional investors.
Ondo also called for allowing issuance on both permissioned and public blockchains, saying open networks enable continuous settlement. Analysts note that SEC guidance in this area could shape the growth of the RWA market.
A pivotal moment
With the roundtable approaching and enterprise pressure mounting, the SEC faces rising expectations to refine how surveillance, privacy, and tokenization fit into U.S. financial law.
Market participants say the agency’s next steps will influence innovation in decentralized systems and shape whether the U.S. remains competitive in real-world-asset tokenization.
The discussions are expected to influence the 2026 regulatory landscape as policymakers balance consumer protection with ongoing crypto innovation.
Also read: Citadel Urges SEC to Regulate DeFi Like Stock Exchanges
