SEC’s Gary Gensler Sees Plenty of ‘Noncompliance’ Across Crypto Industry

SEC Chair Gary Gensler spoke on Bloomberg TV Tuesday, addressing questions around crypto regulation.

AccessTimeIconJul 19, 2022 at 6:22 p.m. UTC
Updated May 11, 2023 at 4:19 p.m. UTC
10 Years of Decentralizing the Future
May 29-31, 2024 - Austin, TexasThe biggest and most established global hub for everything crypto, blockchain and Web3.Register Now

The broader cryptocurrency industry contains “a lot of noncompliance” and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is continuing to develop its regulatory framework, SEC Chair Gary Gensler said Tuesday on Bloomberg TV's "Balance of Power" show.

Gensler mentioned trading and lending platforms that have taken in money and in some cases failed, saying those businesses fall under “classic parts of the securities laws.”

“We at the SEC are going to do what we can,” Gensler said, but added there are currently too many platforms that haven’t properly complied with the law and registered accordingly.

When it comes to the crises faced by many crypto lenders and exchanges recently and what type of regulation is now needed, Gensler said "it's a mixture of things," including collaborating with market participants and reworking some investor protections. And he noted that the SEC needs to be “technology neutral” yet still protect the public.

If crypto is to continue, more trust in the system is necessary, he said. With respect to more regulation, Gensler said the SEC already maintains “a lot of laws on the books that have been there for decades.”

He said many crypto tokens have attributes of being promotional and raising money from the public and promised the SEC will “continue to bring robust enforcement actions."

Disclosure

Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information has been updated.

CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. In November 2023, CoinDesk was acquired by the Bullish group, owner of Bullish, a regulated, digital assets exchange. The Bullish group is majority-owned by Block.one; both companies have interests in a variety of blockchain and digital asset businesses and significant holdings of digital assets, including bitcoin. CoinDesk operates as an independent subsidiary with an editorial committee to protect journalistic independence. CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive options in the Bullish group as part of their compensation.

Author placeholder image

Michael Bellusci is CoinDesk's crypto reporter focused on public companies and digital asset firms.


Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk's longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.