At the recent U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) cryptocurrency roundtable, several key figures shared their views on decentralized finance (DeFi), code, and regulation:

• SEC Chairman Atkins stated, "Engineers should not be responsible for how others use their code."

• Hester Peirce believes, "Code is protected by the First Amendment and falls under the scope of free speech."

• Erik Voorhees said, "Smart contracts represent a leap forward compared to human regulators."

• Others pointed out that decentralization is not lawless—it is transparent, predictable, and user-driven.