The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will discuss crypto assets at its November 19 national compliance seminar for investment advisers and investment companies, adding digital assets to an agenda that also covers cybersecurity, private funds, and compliance oversight.
According to the SEC’s published event agenda, the virtual seminar will run from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time. The agency said the event is intended to help chief compliance officers and senior personnel strengthen compliance programs and investor protections. The announcement does not specify new crypto rules or enforcement actions tied to the seminar. Instead, the agenda places crypto assets among several current issues scheduled for discussion.
SEC Schedules Crypto Briefing for November 19
Crypto assets are listed in the seminar’s final substantive session, a briefing on current issues scheduled for 4:15 p.m. to 5:20 p.m. ET. The session will also cover superintelligence, internet advisers, transfer-agent matters, and marketing. Taylor Lindman, chief counsel of the SEC’s Crypto Task Force, is listed among the participants, alongside staff from the agency’s Divisions of Examinations and Investment Management.
The SEC has not published a detailed crypto-specific agenda outlining the questions or regulatory topics that the panel will address. The scheduled discussion therefore does not, by itself, indicate that a particular rule or policy change is imminent.
The event will be livestreamed on SEC.gov, and advance registration is not required. The agency said attendees can submit questions before or during the seminar.
Crypto Custody Proposal Provides Regulatory Context
The planned discussion comes as the SEC considers changes to the rules governing how investment advisers and regulated funds hold crypto assets.
On October 1, the commission proposed a framework for crypto asset custody. The proposal would revise requirements under the Investment Advisers Act and the Investment Company Act, including provisions affecting permitted custodians and the circumstances in which crypto assets could be held in self-custody.
The SEC said the proposal is intended to modernize custody requirements and expand investment options for clients. It would also allow the use of state trust companies as custodians for certain client and fund crypto assets, subject to the proposed conditions. The proposal remains separate from the November compliance seminar. The SEC has said its public comment period will remain open for 60 days following publication of the proposed release in the Federal Register.
For investment advisers offering digital-asset exposure, custody arrangements, operational safeguards, and compliance procedures remain important regulatory considerations. The November session may provide additional insight into the issues SEC staff are discussing with industry participants, although the published agenda does not promise new guidance.
Broader Focus on Cybersecurity and Compliance Controls
Crypto assets are only one part of the seminar’s wider compliance agenda. An earlier session will address information security and operational resiliency, including incident response, third-party risk management, organizational safeguards and business continuity.
Other panels will examine conflicts of interest at registered investment advisers, fees and expenses at private funds, valuation, disclosures, and the effectiveness of compliance programs.
The SEC’s Compliance Outreach Program is jointly sponsored by its Divisions of Examinations and Investment Management and the Asset Management Unit of the Division of Enforcement. The agency describes the program as a forum for communication between regulators and industry participants on compliance issues.
The November 19 event is scheduled to take place online. The SEC said the webcast link will be made available on its website on the morning of the seminar.
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