Analysis: The US SEC plans to assess the weighting of crypto privacy and regulation, potentially leading to a polarized regulatory landscape.

According to Odaily Planet Daily, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will hold a roundtable discussion on cryptocurrencies, financial surveillance, and privacy on December 15th. Zooko Wilcox, founder of the crypto privacy project Zcash, and others will participate. Analysts believe that the SEC may use this meeting to assess the level of regulatory weight it can give to crypto privacy projects during its rule-making process. If a consensus is reached that zero-knowledge proofs can meet compliance obligations, this flexibility can be incorporated into the rules for digital asset brokerages, alternative trading systems, and custody. However, if the meeting splits into two camps—"privacy is a right" and "privacy fuels crime"—the existing surveillance-centric framework may be retained, pushing privacy advocates to court. (Cryptoslate)