SEC Steps Back from Memecoin Oversight, Says Commissioner Hester Peirce

The remarks were made during an interview with CNBC at the Bitcoin 2025 conference in Las Vegas.

SEC to Cease Enforcement in Memecoin Space

Peirce emphasized that despite growing investor interest in memecoins, individuals should not expect regulatory protection from the SEC in this area. “There is a lot of interest in memecoins, but people should know this: You should not expect SEC protection in these assets,” she said.

She compared the current memecoin trend to the rise of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) in 2021, during which the SEC also opted to publicly clarify its non-intervention stance. Peirce argued that the agency should issue a similar statement regarding memecoins to avoid confusion about its regulatory intentions.

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Focus Shifting to Rulemaking

Addressing concerns about the SEC’s shifting position, Peirce clarified that the decision is not politically driven but stems from the lack of clear regulatory guidelines. “We didn’t have clear rules. There were a lot of questions about how crypto activities intersect with securities laws,” she noted. The agency, she added, now aims to step back in order to focus on drafting well-defined regulations.

This move marks a notable shift in the SEC’s approach to emerging crypto assets, signaling a broader effort to establish clearer frameworks rather than pursuing enforcement in rapidly evolving, speculative sectors like memecoins.

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