Share this article

DeFi to Go Under Microscope at US CFTC Advisory Group’s Opening Session

The derivative regulators’ Technology Advisory Committee will examine DeFi among other tech priorities at a March 22 meeting.

(Jesse Hamilton/CoinDesk)
(Jesse Hamilton/CoinDesk)

Decentralized finance (DeFi) will be the first topic discussed at the opening meeting of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s Technology Advisory Committee on March 22, further cementing the cryptocurrency sector as a priority for the U.S. derivatives regulator.

“A discussion about DeFi, including cyber vulnerabilities, indicators of ‘decentralization,’ digital identity and unhosted wallets, will contribute to ongoing policy discussions in Washington, D.C., and beyond the Beltway,” said Commissioner Christy Goldsmith Romero, the CFTC sponsor for the new incarnation of this advisory group, in a statement.

jwp-player-placeholder
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the State of Crypto Newsletter today. See all newsletters

The CFTC has been devoting increasing attention to the crypto sector, especially as the agency seeks novel powers to oversee the non-securities crypto spot market.

Another of the CFTC’s advisory committees, the Global Markets Advisory Committee overseen by Commissioner Caroline Pham, met on Feb. 13 to discuss digital assets issues during its initial meeting. She argued that crypto is “truly borderless,” and policymakers “need to understand what is happening at the international level.”

Jesse Hamilton

Jesse Hamilton is CoinDesk's deputy managing editor on the Global Policy and Regulation team, based in Washington, D.C. Before joining CoinDesk in 2022, he worked for more than a decade covering Wall Street regulation at Bloomberg News and Businessweek, writing about the early whisperings among federal agencies trying to decide what to do about crypto. He’s won several national honors in his reporting career, including from his time as a war correspondent in Iraq and as a police reporter for newspapers. Jesse is a graduate of Western Washington University, where he studied journalism and history. He has no crypto holdings.

Jesse Hamilton

More For You

Crypto Industry Asks President Trump to Stop JPMorgan’s 'Punitive Tax' on Data Access

JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon

A coalition of fintech and crypto trade groups is urging the White House to defend open banking and stop JPMorgan from charging fees to access customer data.

What to know:

  • Ten major fintech and crypto trade associations have urged President Trump to stop big banks from imposing fees that could hinder innovation and competition.
  • JPMorgan's plan to charge for access to consumer banking data may debank millions and threaten the adoption of stablecoins and self-custody wallets.
  • The CFPB's open banking rule, which mandates free consumer access to bank data, is under threat as banks have sued to block it, and the CFPB has requested its vacatur.