SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce Denies Endorsing Crypto Projects - Here’s Why It Matters

SEC's crypto-skeptic stance takes another twist as Commissioner Peirce clarifies her position—no endorsements, no favorites, just regulatory clarity.

Peirce—often dubbed 'Crypto Mom' for her pro-innovation views—draws a hard line: personal sympathy doesn’t equal professional approval. Her message cuts through the noise: regulators aren’t here to pick winners.

Meanwhile, crypto Twitter erupts. Some call it a reality check; others see it as another case of regulators talking out of both sides of their mouths—classic finance-sector doublespeak.

Love it or hate it, one thing’s clear: in the wild world of crypto, even a friendly regulator won’t hold your bag.

A new approach to regulation

Commissioner Hester Peirce, often referred to as “Crypto Mom,” is headlining a national tour, which will actively connect with early-stage crypto endeavors. Her focus is on start-ups that usually do not have visibility in policymaking but play a crucial role in innovation.

Peirce has stressed, however, that regulations should not impede growth but should reflect the realities experienced by developers. “We want to understand what it’s really like for people building the future,” she said at one session.

The initiative represents a departure from the agency’s traditional enforcement-focused approach, which instead takes a more dialogic and inclusive approach. The tour has been described as a rare chance to share experiences and challenges with regulators who are actively listening rather than reacting with sanctions.

Expanding industry participation

The task force began its roadshow on August 4, after previous roundtable sessions in Washington, D.C., Chicago, New York City, Los Angeles, Cleveland, Scottsdale, Atlanta, and Ann Arbor. According to the SEC’s register of meetings, over 300 organizations have engaged with the task force since February.

These include major firms like Coinbase, Robinhood, and Kraken in addition to younger ones like 0xMiden, XKOVA, and PawChain. The Chicago session showcased this mix with both established and emerging names taking part. The task force will convene with industry stakeholders on September 25 in New York City and continue its tour of the country through October.

Other signs of reform are emerging from the top of the agency as well. SEC Chair Paul Atkins announced “the time for crypto is now,” vowing to modernize the US securities framework and scaling up the agency’s “Project Crypto” initiative to bring markets on-chain.

Speaking at the OECD’s first-ever Roundtable on Global Financial Markets in Paris on September 10, Atkins said the SEC is moving away from enforcement and will have clear and consistent guidance on digital tokens, custody, and trading platforms. He called the change the beginning of “a golden age of financial innovation on U.S. soil.”

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