Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Paul Atkins is scheduled to headline a major Washington policy summit next month, even as the event’s lead sponsor remains locked in a legal battle with the agency.
The Digital Chamber’s DC Blockchain Summit will feature Atkins as a marquee speaker alongside Commissioner Hester Peirce. The summit’s top sponsor, Unicoin, is currently facing securities fraud charges brought by the SEC last year. The unusual overlap highlights ongoing tensions between regulators and parts of the crypto industry, even as dialogue continues through public forums.
The SEC filed its lawsuit against Unicoin and several executives in May of the previous year, alleging that the company raised roughly 100 million dollars through token sales that were marketed as being backed by real estate assets in a manner the agency disputes. The case was initiated during a transitional leadership period at the commission and was approved by the sitting commissioners at the time.
Unicoin’s chief executive, Alexander Konanykhin, has publicly criticized the SEC’s enforcement approach. He has argued that current leadership is being influenced by enforcement staff who served under prior regulatory strategies that were widely viewed within the industry as aggressive toward digital asset businesses. Konanykhin has stated that his company is restricted from communicating directly with commissioners due to the ongoing litigation.
Despite the legal dispute, Unicoin stepped forward as the summit’s platinum sponsor. The event’s organizers said companies participate in the conference to foster dialogue and build bridges between policymakers and industry stakeholders. An SEC spokesperson declined to comment on the situation.
In recent months, Unicoin has also launched a public awareness campaign in Washington, including promotional trucks circulating near federal buildings with messages suggesting that regulatory pressure on crypto firms remains unresolved. The campaign underscores the broader debate over the SEC’s enforcement posture and its impact on digital asset innovation in the United States.
The current SEC leadership has signaled a willingness to reassess certain regulatory approaches, and the agency has dismissed or paused several high profile crypto enforcement actions initiated in previous years. However, the case against Unicoin remains active, reflecting that not all disputes have been resolved amid shifting policy signals.
Industry observers note that the convergence of a regulatory official and an active litigant at the same event illustrates the complex relationship between Washington regulators and crypto firms. Conferences such as the DC Blockchain Summit often serve as venues for public policy discussions, even when formal legal proceedings limit direct engagement between specific parties.
The summit’s code of conduct emphasizes open dialogue and respectful exchange of ideas. Yet the legal boundaries surrounding the SEC’s case against Unicoin may constrain how directly the dispute is addressed on stage, as both regulators and industry participants navigate ongoing proceedings within established judicial channels.
