The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and Commodity Futures Trading Commission will hold a joint public roundtable on Sept. 29 to address regulatory clarity for cryptocurrency markets, focusing on decentralized finance protocols, perpetual contracts and other digital asset innovations.
The four-hour session at SEC headquarters in Washington will be webcast live and represents a significant collaborative effort between the two agencies that have traditionally operated with overlapping but distinct jurisdictions over crypto assets.
The roundtable follows a joint staff statement issued earlier this week emphasizing regulatory harmonization.
“It is a new day at the SEC and the CFTC,” SEC Chairman Paul Atkins and CFTC Acting Chairman Caroline Pham said in a joint statement announcing the event.
The regulators said they aim to ensure U.S. markets remain competitive while fostering innovation in digital assets through unified regulatory frameworks.
The roundtable will examine key areas including 24/7 cryptocurrency trading markets, event contracts, perpetual derivatives contracts, and the rapidly growing DeFi sector.
Regulators plan to explore streamlining reporting standards, harmonizing product definitions, and creating more efficient market structures while reducing regulatory barriers to innovation.
Among the critical issues to be addressed are capital and margin requirements for crypto products, as well as potential exemptions for new and innovative digital assets.
The discussion comes as the crypto industry has repeatedly called for clearer regulatory guidance amid concerns that regulatory uncertainty has hindered U.S. market development.
The collaborative approach marks a notable shift in regulatory strategy.
Both agencies have faced criticism from industry participants who argue that jurisdictional overlap and conflicting guidance have created compliance challenges and driven some crypto businesses offshore.
On Sept. 5, the SEC and CFTC issued a joint clarification stating that U.S. exchanges can list and facilitate trading of certain spot cryptocurrency assets provided they comply with existing regulations.
The announcement addressed a key area of uncertainty that has persisted as traditional financial institutions and exchanges seek to expand their crypto offerings.
The regulatory clarity initiative comes as the cryptocurrency market continues to evolve rapidly, with DeFi protocols handling billions of dollars in transactions and perpetual contracts becoming increasingly popular among institutional and retail traders.
Industry stakeholders have long sought definitive guidance on which assets fall under securities laws versus commodity regulations.
The roundtable format will allow for input from industry participants, legal experts, and other stakeholders in shaping future regulatory approaches.