A revolution may be underway in Washington. At the latest SEC crypto roundtable, its new president Paul Atkins hinted at a major change: targeted regulatory easing for decentralized finance platforms.
The new SEC president wants to ease DeFi regulation
The idea? To create an “innovation exemption”: a mechanism that would allow DeFi projects to navigate certain legal obstacles, while staying within the SEC’s scope. The stated goal is to “enable issuers and intermediaries to offer financial services on-chain more quickly.”
This is a strategic turn and a strong signal to a sector of the crypto industry often ignored or misunderstood by regulators.
Paul Atkins wants to protect devs, not punish them
“Developers should not be held accountable for how their code is used,” emphasized Paul Atkins. According to him, decentralized finance does not rely on traditional operators, but on self-executing software. A crucial distinction for regulators.
The SEC president acknowledges that some DeFi tools may seem like science fiction… but he points out that blockchain enables intermediary-free financial systems. A model that, in his opinion, deserves an adapted regulatory approach, rather than punitive measures.
A fresh breeze from the Republicans
Since Trump’s arrival at the White House, the Republican majority at the SEC (3 to 1) has been advocating for a more crypto-friendly stance. DeFi, often overshadowed by centralized exchanges, regains a central place in the debate.
Hester Peirce, now leading the SEC Crypto Task Force, also defends a more flexible vision: “Simply publishing code should not be regulated as a financial activity.” She does, however, remind that entities truly centralized will not be able to hide forever behind the ‘decentralized’ label.
A strong symbol for the ecosystem
The presence of Erik Voorhees, founder of ShapeShift, adds a symbolic touch. ‘When I received my first SEC summons 12 years ago, I never imagined being invited here one day,’ he remarked with a sly smile. Before acknowledging a ‘very positive change of tone for America.’
Stani Kulechov, founder of Aave, also met with Bo Hines, the White House crypto advisor, to discuss the protection of DeFi innovation.
The message is clear: the climate is changing. If this ‘innovation exemption’ comes to fruition, it could mark a historic turning point for DeFi developers… and for the attractiveness of the United States in the global crypto race.
