The SEC’s Crypto Task Force will host a roundtable titled “Between a Block and a Hard Place: Tailoring Regulation for Crypto Trading” on April 11 at the regulator’s headquarters in Washington, D.C.

On April 7, it announced the agenda and attendees of the roundtable, which many industry observers and executives hope will usher in regulations for crypto in the United States.

“Hearing the public’s concerns and suggestions helps the SEC create a clear, sensible, and fair path forward for the crypto industry,” said Commissioner Hester Peirce, leader of the Crypto Task Force.

Crypto Regulations Coming

Peirce added that she is looking forward to this roundtable and the rest of the series “as we move toward crypto clarity for the benefit of the American public.”

SEC announces agenda and panelists for roundtable on crypto trading: https://t.co/RDQyWDlE8o pic.twitter.com/T0ifWIRP3a

The series of roundtable discussions were announced in March and include “Know Your Custodian: Key Considerations for Crypto Custody” on April 25, “Tokenization Moving Assets Onchain: Where TradFi and DeFi Meet” on May 12, and “DeFi and the American Spirit,” on June 6. They are open to the public both in-person via registration and via live webcast.

Opening remarks will be from acting chairman Mark Uyeda, Commissioner Caroline Crenshaw, and Commissioner Peirce. The main roundtable discussion is moderated by Nicholas Losurdo, a Partner at Goodwin Procter, and features diverse panelists, including representatives from traditional finance, crypto companies such as Coinbase, industry associations, and academic institutions.

The move is a complete about-turn for the SEC, which has spent the past few years issuing lawsuits against American crypto companies. However, most of those investigations have now been closed or settled as the regulator operates under new leadership.

No Love For Markets

Nevertheless, the premise of a pro-crypto regulatory environment and the fostering of investment and innovation in the US sector has done nothing to prevent a massive market sell-off this week.

Total capitalization tanked to a five-month low below $2.5 trillion this week as Bitcoin sunk and altcoins were obliterated.

The trade war between the Trump administration and the rest of the world, particularly China, escalated this week when the POTUS promised additional tariffs on China.

China responded, stating that it would “fight to the end” and “resolutely take countermeasures to defend its own interests.”

No amount of pro-crypto regulation is likely to influence sentiment in the current economic climate until the dust settles from the trade war and agreements are inked.