S6:E2 | The SEC Crypto Task Force | Compliance in Context

Welcome back to the Compliance In Context podcast! on today’s show, we will be tackling one of the most significant topics being discussed so far in all of 2025, namely cryptoassets and the SEC’s Crypto Task Force.  To help guide us through the conversation, we are very pleased to welcome back to the show, SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce. As the head of the task force, Commissioner Peirce shares her unique perspective regarding specific focus areas, collaboration with the industry, and other notable items from the first of 2025. In our Headlines section, FinCEN recently announced that the compliance date for the AML Rule for investment advisers is being delayed by two years, and finally, we close up today with another installment of History Has Your Back, where the story of a famous stockbroker and humanitarian demonstrates the importance of unsung heroes.

Show

Headlines

• Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) announced that the compliance date for the anti-money-laundering rule for investment advisers is being delayed by two years.

Interview with SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce

• Background on the SEC’s Crypto Task Force
• What areas has the Task Force been focused on of late?
• Has there been additional collaboration with the industry?
• How will the area of issuance evolving over the next few years and how can the SEC establish itself as a leader in this space both domestically and internationally?
• Why is the issue of custody so challenging in the crypto space?
• How might self-custody be a safer option for some crypto assets?
• How will the issue of taking self-custody of crypto assets evolve over the next several years?
• Is there an expectation that broker-dealers will go to market with a “super app” that offers trading in securities and non-securities and other financial services all under a single roof?
• Do you think further guidance or rulemaking may be helpful for enabling the listing and trading of crypto assets on national securities exchanges?

History Has Your Back

• Famous stockbroker Nicholas Winton demonstrates the significance and impact of unsung heroes

Quotes

11:35 - “Well, I’m glad that you highlighted Chairman Atkins’ speech because he has taken a position which has just been really refreshing for me to see, which is that this is work that we can do. It’s work that we should be doing and we’re going to do this work. And really setting the tone for wanting to create a welcoming atmosphere for innovation, but also recognizing that there are areas where our existing regulatory framework touches upon crypto and we have to apply it. Now, we do also have a lot of authority from Congress already to use exemptions as necessary to provide relief from regulatory obligations when that makes sense to do that. And so I think with respect to issuance specifically, we do think that a rulemaking would be helpful.” – Hester Peirce 

19:13 - “I should say that self-custody, that term can mean different things, right? I think someone with crypto assets—does that advisor need to go to a third party custodian or can that advisor hold those crypto assets itself? One reason may be that there isn’t a third party that’s out there that’s able to provide custody. Another reason is that you may feel that you can do it better or you can do it in a way that enables you to manage that that in a way that’s beneficial to your client. And so, again, the goal is that you are taking care of that asset, making sure that nothing happens to it, right? So I don’t think anyone should take on the job of custody lightly. And so I think we do have to be careful as we think about that and not just assume that everything is going to be okay.” – Hester Peirce 

21:52 - “We always need to remember that we can’t—we always need to not forget the lessons of the past, even as we’re thinking about whether this new technology maybe should give people more latitude to do different things. We have to keep in mind the risks that we’re trying to protect people from.” – Hester Peirce