SEC Prioritizes Addressing 2018 Hinman Speech Amid Market Confusion

According to Odaily, a recent meeting between the Token Alliance of the Chamber of Digital Commerce and staff members of U.S. SEC Commissioners Hester Peirce and Mark Uyeda highlighted the need to address the handling of the 2018 Hinman speech. The Token Alliance emphasized that this issue should be a top priority for the Corporation Finance division due to its lack of relevance to the Howey Test, which has led to market confusion and an "improper creation of winners and losers." The SEC's priority list for each department is outlined in a timeline from the first to the 90th day of the new administration under President Trump. This list identifies policy changes that the industry believes could foster a new, more positive relationship between cryptocurrency market participants and the agency. Among the key first-day priorities are initiating a review of all existing crypto-related investigations, Wells notices, and ongoing litigation, with a focus on suspending cases that do not involve actual fraud or harm to investors. Additionally, the withdrawal of SAB 121 and the issuance of a rescission order in the Federal Register are highlighted, along with the formal withdrawal and reconsideration of the proposed amendment to Rule 3b-16, which seeks to expand the definition of "exchange" to include DeFi protocols. Notably, the Chamber of Digital Commerce expressed satisfaction with the open dialogue with the commissioners' teams, indicating a willingness to engage in ongoing discussions.