The SEC’s crypto task force held its sixth roundtable on financial surveillance and user privacy as on-chain activity rises. Chair Paul Atkins warned crypto could become “the most powerful financial surveillance architecture,” while Commissioner Hester Peirce urged regulators to rethink when/how transactions are surveilled and noted demand for privacy-protecting tools on public blockchains. Participants included Zcash (ZEC), the Blockchain Association and the Crypto Council for Innovation. The discussion took place amid debate over the CLARITY Act and uncertainty about Senate action before year-end and Commissioner Caroline Crenshaw’s departure.

Facts: Commissioner Peirce urged regulators to rethink transaction surveillance and noted demand for privacy tools; participants included Zcash and industry groups; the roundtable focused on financial surveillance and privacy while the CLARITY Act and Senate action remain unsettled. These facts suggest modestly positive implications for privacy-focused crypto but no immediate market-moving developments.