PANews reported on May 23 that according to the official blog of Figment, a staking service provider, Hester Peirce, the head of the Crypto Working Group of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), made it clear in a speech on May 19 that technical behaviors directly participating in the Proof of Stake (PoS) and Delegated Proof of Stake (DPoS) systems are not within the jurisdiction of securities laws. This is the first time that a senior SEC official has made such a statement on staking activities.

Peirce pointed out that the SEC will issue further guidance to clarify which activities are not subject to securities laws, including technical services that assist in participating in consensus mechanisms. She admitted that the SEC's past law enforcement and regulatory methods have failed to effectively prevent fraud, but instead caused confusion for compliant operators. This statement is seen as a positive signal for US institutions to participate in staking activities. Figment said that this will promote the wider adoption of staking services by US institutions.