Commissioner Hester Peirce of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) delivered the keynote address at a law school symposium held on February 8. The symposium, Protecting the Public While Fostering Innovation and Entrepreneurship: First Principles for Effective Regulation, was organized by Mizzou Law’s Business, Entrepreneurship, & Tax Law Review.

Drawing on Professor Thom Lambert’s recent book, How to Regulate: A Guide for Policymakers, Commissioner Peirce discussed the difficult issues the SEC faces in regulating “initial coin offerings” (ICOs) and the trading of cryptocurrency-based funds. Commissioner Peirce’s remarks have already garnered the attention of a number of cryptocurrency-focused news outlets, including CoinDesk, CoinTelegraph, and UK-based MondoVisione.