Regulatory Scrutiny Surrounding DeFi Tapers

The regulatory climate for crypto in the United States appears to be pivoting, as governing bodies prepare for a regime shift ahead of Donald Trump’s inauguration.

The changing of the guard in U.S. politics is already starting to take shape as the current Securities and Exchanges Commission Chair, Gary Gensler, shared a statement hinting at a potential resignation, which concluded with, “I’ve been proud to serve with my colleagues at the SEC who, day in and day out, work to protect American families on the highways of financial success.”

Crypto and DeFi enthusiasts have been quick to presume that a new chair of the SEC would take a lighter, or at least more transparent approach to crypto and DeFi regulations.

It was also announced today that the Manhattan US Attorney’s Office will reduce its focus on crypto cases. Scott Hartman, the co-chief of the securities and commodities task force in the Southern District of New York, said, “You won't see as much crypto stuff coming out of at least the SDNY in the future."

While the office will not be ignoring crypto-related cases, there will be fewer resources devoted to them, according to a report from Reuters.

This news comes the day after President Trump announced that the previous chair of the SEC, Jay Clayton, who was significantly less critical of crypto than Gensler, would be nominated as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.