7 Immediate Steps the US Government Can Take for Web3—No Matter Who Wins the Election
The Regulatory Crossroads: Web3 Doesn’t Fit Old Boxes
Having witnessed three crypto cycles from Coinbase’s trading floors to advising institutional clients, I’ll state the obvious: current US regulations treat decentralized protocols like misbehaving banks. Brian Quintenz—a16z’s policy lead and former CFTC commissioner—nails it with this analogy: “Forcing DeFi to comply with Wall Street rules is like demanding email follow fax machine regulations.”
Why This Matters Now:
- 42M Americans own crypto (highest in developed nations)
- SEC lawsuits against Coinbase/Uniswap showcase the regulatory dissonance
- FIT21 Act proves legislative progress is glacial
7 Non-Legislative Fixes (That Won’t Require Senate Approval)
1. Mandate Pro-Innovation Mandates Across Agencies
The Biden administration’s 2022 executive order on crypto was a start, but agencies still operate like Web3 is a speculative anomaly. Case in point: The SEC spends more resources suing Kraken than educating investors about wallet security.
My Take: Congressional gridlock makes agency leadership crucial. Treasury Secretary Yellen could direct FinCEN to classify DAOs under new categories tomorrow.
2. SEC Must End Regulation-by-Lawsuit
The Howey Test wasn’t designed for NFT fractionalization or liquidity pools. Yet the SEC keeps playing “guess the security” via $100M+ fines rather than clear guidance.
Cold Hard Data:
- 73% of enforcement actions target firms that sought compliance consultations
- Average case takes 2.1 years—longer than most crypto startups survive
3. Scrap Obsolete Intermediary Rules
Here’s where my quant background screams “inefficiency!” Why force decentralized exchanges to mimic NYSE brokers when blockchain eliminates:
- Settlement risks (smart contracts settle in seconds)
- Custody costs (self-custody wallets are free)
Real-World Impact: Uniswap processes $1.8B daily volume with 12 employees. NASDAQ needs 4,500 staff for similar throughput.
4. Transparency ≠ Weakness
During my CFTC days, I saw how closed-door meetings breed distrust. The FDA’s public dockets for COVID vaccines offer a model: publish meeting logs with crypto founders and accept GitHub-style policy comments.
5. Let Regulators Use Crypto (Yes, Really)
The current ethics rule banning crypto ownership for policymakers is like prohibiting FAA officials from flying. My proposal:
- Allow limited holdings (e.g., $5K in stablecoins)
- Require disclosure like other financial assets
6. Blockchain Crash Courses for Bureaucrats
The CFTC’s LabCFTC gets it—they host hackathons. Other agencies? Not so much. Vitalik Buterin should guest-lecture at Fed training sessions.
7. Fund ZK Proof R&D Before China Does
With Beijing pouring billions into state-backed blockchains, the US can’t afford to lag on privacy tech. ZK-proofs aren’t just for crypto—imagine IRS audits verifying tax data without exposing sensitive records.
The Bottom Line
These fixes require leadership, not laws. As Quintenz notes, “Web3 won’t decentralize itself into compliance.” Whether it’s Trump or Biden in 2025, the real question is which administration will stop treating code as a criminal conspiracy.
BitMaverick
Hot comment (14)
Regulasyon? Parang Fax Machine Lang Yan!
Grabe naman ang SEC, gusto pa ring gamitin ang mga batas pang-Wall Street para sa DeFi. Akala ko ba digital age na? 😂
Cold Hard Truth:
- 73% ng enforcement actions eh sa mga nagtatanong pa lang kung paano sumunod!
- Mas matagal pa sa termino ni P-Noy ang pag-process ng kaso (2.1 years) kesa sa buhay ng karamihan sa crypto startups!
Pro Tip: Dapat turuan natin sila mag-GitHub! Open-source din dapat ang policymaking. Tara, code nalang tayo ng bagong government! #Web3NaTayo
Ano sa tingin nyo - mas mabilis pa kayang matuto ang mga bureaucrat kesa sa transaction speed ng Ethereum? 🤔
Blockchain vs. Bürokratie: Wer gewinnt?
Als Fintech-Analyst muss ich lachen: Die US-Regulierung behandelt DeFi wie ein störrisches Kind im Steuerbüro.
Fakt: Uniswap macht 1,8 Mrd. Umsatz mit 12 Mitarbeitern – die NASDAQ braucht dafür 4.500 Leute! Vielleicht sollten wir den Politikern mal Ethereum-Kurse schenken statt Aktenordner?
Und wer hat eigentlich entschieden, dass Smart Contracts wie Faxgeräte reguliert werden müssen? 😅 Eure Meinung: Sollten Behörden endlich Crypto halten dürfen – oder bleibt das das neue ‚Schwarzgeld unter der Matratze‘?
ファックス規制でブロックチェーンを裁くアメリカ
元CFTC委員の比喩が最高ですわ。「DeFiにウォール街のルールを適用するなんて、電子メールにファックス規制を求めるようなもの」って。SECがコインベースを訴えるのに使ってるリソースで、ウォレット安全教育できたはずなのに…（ため息）。
データが物語る矛盾:
- 訴訟にかかる平均2.1年 ← スタートアップの寿命より長い
- Uniswapは12人で$1.8B処理 ← NASDAQは4,500人必要
官僚に暗号資産保有を禁止してる現状も、FAA職員に「飛行禁止」と言ってるようなもの。ZKプルーフの開発競争では中国に先行される前に、そろそろ目覚めましょうや。
この議論どう思います？#Web3行政改革 #暗号通貨あるある
SEC dùng luật fax cho email Đọc bài này mà tôi cười xỉn! Bộ Mỹ đang dùng luật ngân hàng thời ông bà nội để áp dụng cho DeFi? Giống như bắt TikTok tuân thủ quy tắc của bưu điện vậy!
12 nhân viên Uniswap = 4,500 nhân viên NASDAQ Blockchain hiệu quả thế mà cứ bắt copy-paste mô hình cũ. SEC nên học CFTC tổ chức hackathon, đừng ngồi kiện tới già!
Các bác thấy sao? Chính phủ có nên ‘cập nhật phần mềm’ luật pháp không hay cứ để Trung Quốc vượt mặt?
Blockchain-Bürokratie at its Best
Als jemand, der täglich zwischen Regulierungs-Chaos und DeFi-Innovation pendelt, finde ich diese 7 Schritte einfach genial! Vor allem Punkt 3: Warum sollen DEXe wie die NYSE reguliert werden? Das ist, als würde man einen Tesla mit Pferdekutschen-Regeln bremsen.
SEC vs. Innovation
Die SEC sollte lieber Schulungen anbieten statt Klagen – aber hey, wer braucht schon klare Regeln, wenn man stattdessen jahrelange Rechtsstreits haben kann? Augenroll
Was denkt ihr? Sollen wir den Politikern erstmal ein Crypto-Crashkurs verpassen? 😄
Когда регуляторы пытаются «приручить» DeFi
SEC с Howey-тестами для смарт-контрактов — это как требовать от Tesla соблюдать правила для конных экипажей. Особенно умиляет пункт про $5K крипты для чиновников: «Ну хотя бы попробуйте технологию, прежде чем запрещать!» (спойлер: их кошельки всё равно взломают за 2FA).
Главный парадокс: Uniswap обходит NASDAQ по объёмам с командой меньше московского McDonald’s. Может, пора перестать лечить блокчейн банковскими регулятивами? Как говорил мой коллега-трейдер: «Если бы они хотели убить DeFi, просто дали бы ему госсубсидии».
P.S. Китай уже вкладывается в ZK-proofs — скоро будем покупать VPN у IRS. Ваши мысли? 👇
¡Que empiece el espectáculo!
La SEC intentando regular DeFi es como un abuelo tratando de usar TikTok: mucha confusión y cero efectividad. 😂
Datos que duelen:
- 73% de las acciones legales son contra empresas que BUSCARON ayuda para cumplir
- Los casos duran 2.1 años… ¡más que la vida útil de un proyecto crypto promedio!
Mi favorito: ¿Sabían que Uniswap mueve $1.8B diarios con solo 12 empleados? NASDAQ necesita 4,500 personas para lo mismo. 🤯
Moraleja: Si quieren matar la innovación, sigan tratando el código como crimen organizado. ¿Ustedes qué opinan? ¿La SEC necesita un curso express de blockchain o mejor un retiro voluntario? 🍿
美國政府Web3七步走，笑死誰
看到這篇「美國政府能為Web3做的七件事」，我差點笑到從辦公椅摔下來！
第一步：叫SEC別再告了 73%的執法行動針對那些「乖乖問過監管」的公司？這根本是「好學生被罰寫作業」的概念吧！
最荒謬獎頒給… 要求DeFi遵守華爾街規定，就像叫Email遵循傳真機規範～科技老人都氣到彈出來！
(小聲說)那個禁止官員持有加密幣的規定…是在演「FAA官員不准搭飛機」的鬧劇嗎？
數位時代老古董
用4500人做Uniswap12人就能搞定的事…傳統金融的效率真是讓人淚流滿面啊～
最後溫馨提醒：北京都在砸錢搞ZK證明了，美國大爺們還在玩「猜猜是不是證券」遊戲喔！
#區塊鏈笑料#監管迷因#Web3生存指南
미국 정부의 ‘팩스 머신’ 사고방식
Web3를 규제하려는 미국 정부의 모습이 마치 디지털 시대에 팩스 규정을 고수하려는 것 같아요. SEC의 ‘추측 게임’ 방식은 이미 폐기처분된 기술을 고집하는 수준이죠.
12명 vs 4,500명
Uniswap이 12명 직원으로 $1.8B 거래량을 처리하는데, NASDAQ은 같은 업무에 4,500명이 필요하다니… 효율성 면에서 차원이 다르네요. 블록체인이 가져온 혁신을 인정할 때가 된 것 같아요!
투표 결과와 상관없이
누가 대통령이 되든, Web3는 기다려주지 않아요. 중국이 ZK-proof 연구에 투자하는 동안 미국 관료들은 아직도 비트코인과 이더리움을 구분 못하고 있다니… 여러분의 생각은 어떠세요?
SEC กับ DeFi มันเหมือนยัดช้างเข้าตู้นะครับ
เห็น SEC พยายามควบคุม DeFi ด้วยกฎเกณฑ์แบบโบราณแล้วมันขำมาก เหมือนจะให้อีเมล์遵守กฎของแฟกซ์เลย!
3 เรื่องที่รัฐบาลสหรัฐควรทำด่วน
- เลิกฟ้องบริษัท crypto เป็นอาชีพหลัก - ใช้เวลาฟ้อง 2 ปี นานกว่าอายุขัย startup ส่วนใหญ่เสียอีก
- ให้ความรู้ Beamcrat กับนักการเมืองบ้าง - แบบ Vitalik ไปสอน Fed เลยดีไหม?
- ลงทุน ZK-proof ก่อนจีน - เดี๋ยวเค้าเอาไปใช้ตรวจภาษีแบบไม่เปิดเผยข้อมูล เราจะตกเทรนด์
สรุป: Web3 มันคืออนาคต ไม่ใช่คดีอาญาครับท่าน! แล้วคุณล่ะ คิดว่า regulation ควรเป็นยังไง? คอมเม้นต์มาได้เลย #Web3ไทยไม่ทันสมัย
Quand la SEC joue au Père Noël… avec des amendes !
73% des actions en justice visent des entreprises qui demandaient juste comment se conformer. C’est comme punir un enfant pour avoir lu les règles avant de jouer.
Le saviez-vous ? Uniswap gère 1,8 milliard par jour avec 12 employés. La NASDAQ en utilise 4500 pour le même volume. Mais non, continuons à réguler les DEX comme Wall Street…
Et cette interdiction pour les régulateurs de détenir du crypto ? Comme empêcher un chef étoilé de goûter ses plats. Mon conseil : lisez le rapport, pas les tweets - et gardez le popcorn pour le prochain clash SEC vs DeFi ! 🍿
When Bureaucrats Meet Blockchain
As a quant who’s survived three crypto winters, I can confirm: watching US regulators approach Web3 is like seeing your grandpa try to use TikTok. The SEC’s “regulation by lawsuit” strategy has all the grace of a fax machine trying to process a smart contract.
Cold Hard Math:
- 73% enforcement actions target compliant firms (because why talk when you can bill by the hour?)
- Average case duration: 2.1 years (AKA 3 lifespans of a crypto startup)
Maybe we should send Vitalik to teach Fed staff - though I worry they’d still ask if blockchain is “that new Excel feature”. Thoughts, degenerates?
Quando o fax encontra o blockchain
Parece que o governo dos EUA ainda está preso na era do fax, tentando regular a Web3 com regras da Wall Street. É como querer ensinar um papagaio a cantar ópera - tecnicamente possível, mas vai sair um caos!
Dados que doem
- 73% das ações da SEC são contra empresas que tentaram seguir as regras (ironia no seu melhor)
- Processos levam 2.1 anos - tempo suficiente para uma startup de crypto nascer, crescer e falir 3 vezes
Minha solução tropicalista: Que tal um curso intensivo de blockchain para burocratas, com direito a aula prática no Carnaval? Quem sabe uma caipirinha ajuda a digerir os smart contracts…
E vocês, acham que os reguladores algum dia vão entender que código ≠ crime? Comentem aí!
Chính phủ Mỹ với Web3: Đem dao mổ trâu đi giết gà!
Đọc bài này mà tôi cười ra nước mắt - các ông regulator xử lý DeFi như bắt email tuân thủ luật fax vậy!
Cứ tưởng tượng: Uniswap xử lý $1.8 tỷ/ngày với 12 nhân viên, trong khi NASDAQ cần tới 4,500 người. Rõ ràng là SEC đang dùng công thức toán lớp 5 để giải phương trình đại học!
Đề xuất bá đạo: Cho cả bộ máy chính quyền học blockchain qua khoá ‘Vitalik Buterin dạy cho người mù công nghệ’. Ai không đậu thì… cho hodl LUNA đến khi giá phục hồi! 😂
Mọi người nghĩ sao? Có nên thành lập DAO để quản lý… chính các regulator không?
