U.S. SEC sees decentralized crypto platforms as exchanges, seeks public input

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Gary Gensler testifies before a House Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee hearing on President Biden's budget request for the Securities and Exchange Commission, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., March 29, 2023. REUTERS/Leah Millis

NEW YORK (Reuters) -The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission met on Friday to open public comment again on its proposal to expand the definition of an "exchange," clarifying that its existing rules on exchanges also apply to decentralized cryptocurrency platforms.

The SEC voted 3-2 to take additional comments from the public after crypto firms criticized the plan as vague and aimed at roping in decentralized finance platforms, also known as DeFi platforms that would otherwise not be subject to the regulator’s oversight.