SEC hosts crypto roundtable to explore tokenisation and finance

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced a high-profile roundtable titled “Tokenisation - Moving Assets Onchain: Where TradFi and DeFi Meet” scheduled for May 12, 2025, at its Washington D.C. headquarters.

The event aims to examine how traditional finance (TradFi) and decentralised finance (DeFi) intersect through blockchain-based asset tokenisation.

“Tokenisation is a technological development that could substantially change many aspects of our financial markets,” stated Commissioner Hester M. Peirce, who leads the SEC’s Crypto Task Force, emphasising the significance of the topic.

The roundtable will run from 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and is open to the public both in-person and online without registration for virtual attendance.

Richard B. Gabbert, Chief of Staff of the Crypto Task Force, will deliver opening remarks, followed by a keynote from Chairman Paul S. Atkins.

Additional comments will come from Commissioners Caroline A. Crenshaw, Mark T. Uyeda, and Peirce.

The first panel, “Evolution of Finance: Capital Markets 2.0,” moderated by Jeff Dinwoodie of Cravath, will feature representatives from institutions including Fidelity, Nasdaq, Invesco, Franklin Templeton, Blackrock, Apollo Management, and DTCC.

The second panel, “The Future of Tokenisation,” moderated by Tiffany Smith of WilmerHale, will include speakers such as Hilary Allen of American University, Gene Hoffman of Chia Network, Johann Kerbrat of Robinhood, Sidney Powell of Maple Finance, and independent researcher Angela Walch.

This session will focus on long-term implications, use cases, and regulatory responses to tokenised assets in capital markets.

Separately, the SEC rescheduled its “DeFi and the American Spirit” roundtable from June 6 to June 9, with registrations remaining valid.

The SEC’s Crypto Task Force began hosting policy roundtables in March 2025, signaling a shift toward collaborative and transparent crypto regulation.