SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce: The US government needs to remember who it represents

SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce used a panel appearance at Blockworks’ Permissionless III conference to criticize the US government’s current approach to digital assets and broader financial regulation, arguing that officials “need to remember who [they] represent.” According to coverage of the event, Peirce said policymakers and regulators too often treat citizens as potential wrongdoers to be monitored rather than as individuals whose freedoms and property rights they are meant to protect. She framed this as a problem that extends beyond crypto into the growth of financial surveillance and expansive interpretations of regulatory mandates. Peirce, long known in the industry as “Crypto Mom” for her comparatively permissive stance, again called for clearer, more tailored rules for crypto markets instead of regulation by enforcement actions. She warned that heavy-handed approaches risk pushing innovation offshore and undermining the competitiveness of US markets, while also eroding civil liberties through extensive data collection and control over lawful financial activity. Her comments matter because they highlight an ongoing split inside US policy circles: even as the SEC and other agencies continue aggressive enforcement in crypto, at least one sitting commissioner is publicly questioning whether current regulatory and surveillance practices are consistent with the government’s obligation to serve and be accountable to the public.

✨ AI-generated background, compiled from web sources — not editorial content.

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