SEC Chair Celebrates U.S. DeFi Transformation as ETH Sees 8% Surge

During the latest Crypto Task Force Roundtable on decentralized finance held on June 9, SEC Chair Paul Atkins emphasized, “The core principles of American economic liberty, private property rights, and innovation are integral to the DeFi movement.”

Atkins expressed concerns over the application of outdated regulatory frameworks to DeFi and blockchain technology, remarking that existing securities regulations were crafted for conventional intermediaries and issuers rather than for autonomous software systems.

“The previous administration actively discouraged American participation in blockchain technologies, suggesting through lawsuits, public statements, and regulatory threats that users and staking-as-a-service providers might engage in securities transactions.”

Highlights from Chairman Paul Atkins’ statements today at “DeFi and the American Spirit,” SEC’s Crypto Task Force Roundtable on Decentralized Finance – a

— U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (@SECGov) June 9, 2025

Support for Ethereum DeFi

Atkins clarified that opting to participate as a miner, validator, or staking-as-a-service provider within a proof-of-work or proof-of-stake network “falls outside the jurisdiction of federal securities laws.”

He advocated for providing “greater leeway” for market participants to self-manage their crypto assets and asserted that “distributing staking code or wallet software does not constitute brokerage activity.”

Looking ahead, the SEC chair instructed staff to seek guidance on registrants engaging with blockchain technologies and to consider regulatory adjustments for accommodating on-chain financial infrastructures. He also suggested an “innovation exemption” framework to facilitate the rapid market entry of compliant on-chain products and services.

“An innovation exemption could help achieve President Trump’s goal of making America the global leader in crypto by encouraging developers, businesses, and other entities that agree to specific conditions to innovate with on-chain technologies in the U.S.”

Former developer Eric Conner remarked, “It was a significant moment for Ethereum,” stating that if this evolves into a formal policy, the U.S. would emerge as the epicenter of the crypto world:

“Ethereum gains regulatory clarity regarding staking, self-custody, and open-source infrastructure.”

Ethereum has established itself as the benchmark for DeFi with an on-chain value of $68 billion, commanding 55% of the market share—more than all other chains combined, as reported by DeFiLlama.

1/ Incredible day for Ethereum & DeFi.

SEC Chair Paul Atkins has articulated a clear vision for crypto, signaling that DeFi has gained ground in the regulatory discourse.

Key takeaways:

— Eric Conner (@econoar) June 9, 2025

ETH Price Movement

The price of Ethereum reacted favorably to the roundtable event, climbing 8% from below $2,500 to peak at $2,720 during the morning trading session in Asia.

Despite this surge, that price level has served as significant resistance on four prior occasions in the past month, leading to a retreat from the intraday high.

ETH has remained in a defined trading range for a month and will need to surpass $2,800 for any further upward momentum.