The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is set to host a public roundtable on December 15, 2025, in Washington D.C. This event will focus on critical issues surrounding privacy and surveillance in the cryptocurrency landscape. Amid growing legal scrutiny of privacy-enhancing tools, the discussion aims to evaluate regulatory challenges and their ramifications on the market, particularly concerning the valuations of privacy coins.
The roundtable is spearheaded by SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce, who has gained recognition within the cryptocurrency community as “Crypto Mom.” This meeting will see participation from various SEC commissioners, governmental representatives, and prominent figures from the cryptocurrency sector. The gathering follows a series of legal actions targeting privacy tools such as Tornado Cash and Samourai Wallet, which have raised alarms among developers and community members regarding the potential regulatory environment.
As noted by Commissioner Peirce, “The Crypto Task Force is acutely aware that any regulatory framework will have far-reaching effects, and we want to ensure that our outreach is as comprehensive as possible.” Such insights underscore the SEC“s intent to engage with industry leaders to create a balanced approach toward privacy regulations.
In light of these discussions, the market has reacted with notable volatility, particularly within the realm of privacy coins. For example, Monero (XMR) has recently seen a price increase of 29.24% over the past 90 days, now trading at $349.07 and boasting a market cap of approximately $6.44 billion according to CoinMarketCap. This surge occurred despite a recent 5.36% drop in the last 24 hours and a 10.45% decline over the past week.
Historically, legal actions against privacy tools have led to fluctuations in the privacy coin market, prompting developers to pivot towards decentralized solutions. The Coincu research team suggests that the SEC“s dialogue with industry leaders could foster a more conducive regulatory framework, potentially encouraging innovation in privacy technologies and paving the way for new applications within the cryptocurrency space.
