SEC Commissioner Peirce issued a statement: Crypto vaults and on-chain lending strategies may be subject to federal securities laws

According to the SEC official website, Commissioner Hester M. Peirce issued a statement highlighting the intersection of cryptocurrency vaults and on-chain lending strategies with federal securities laws. Peirce pointed out that migrating activities to the blockchain does not automatically exempt them from the regulatory scope of securities laws. Cryptocurrency vaults allocate user assets to yield activities such as staking and lending through smart contracts, and if the managers are involved in selecting yield strategies or reallocating assets, it may trigger compliance obligations under securities laws; some vault structures may be deemed joint enterprises or fall under the regulation of investment companies.

Regarding on-chain lending strategies, management actions such as interest rate setting, asset admission, and liquidation thresholds may also involve securities laws, and related loans may be classified as securities under certain conditions. Peirce stated that the SEC welcomes proactive communication from market participants in the vault and on-chain lending space and seeks input from all parties to explore whether there is a need to revise rules to protect investors while allowing space for innovation.