Capital Markets & Securities Law Watch

On May 12, 2025, the Securities and Exchange Commission hosted its fourth roundtable with the Commission’s Crypto Task Force, titled “Moving Assets On-chain: Where TradFi and DeFi Meet.” The SEC’s Commissioners largely expressed optimism about integrating blockchain technology into securities markets, anticipating flexibility and interoperability as well as the Commission’s ability to adapt. However, dissenting opinion expressed skepticism, warning of unresolved risks and urging regulatory restraint, highlighting a divide within the Commission on how favorably it will treat asset tokenization. For more information and resources, visit our Public Company Gateway page, a one-stop portal for the latest legal and regulatory developments as well as key checklists, guides, and other pragmatic desktop tools.

On April 4, 2025, the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Corporation Finance issued a staff statement that certain USD-pegged stablecoins do not qualify as securities under federal law. The announcement defines a narrow category of “Covered Stablecoins” exempt from registration requirements.

On February 27, 2025, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC or the Commission) announced that it has filed a joint stipulation with Coinbase, Inc. and Coinbase Global, Inc. to dismiss the Commission’s civil suit against the two entities. The same day, the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance (the Division) issued a staff statement clarifying that meme coins are not securities.

Industry professionals are keeping tabs on the regulation of crypto assets, as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) turns its attention to the burgeoning asset class. A pair of prepared remarks delivered by SEC Chair Gary Gensler over the past few months underscore the SEC’s commitment to enforcement and increased regulatory oversight of crypto assets.