According to Bitcoin Magazine, US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Commissioner Hester Peirce emphasized during a conversation at PubKey, a Bitcoin themed bar in New York, that permissionless technologies such as Bitcoin have significant implications for maintaining freedom, and US citizens should have the right to use cryptocurrency mixers. She discussed topics such as Bitcoin's resistance to confiscation and code as freedom of speech with NYDIG founder Ross Stevens, using historical cases to illustrate the value of Bitcoin to freedom defenders. She also warned that an executive order similar to the 1933 US government's confiscation of gold may reappear. Stevens pointed out that the mnemonic properties of Bitcoin make it more resistant to confiscation.
Peirce criticized the American public for ignoring financial privacy and supporting citizens' right to use coin mixers. Regarding the bar founder's question about the possibility of abolishing the Bank Secrecy Act, she acknowledged the risks of financial institutions centralizing user data, but said that the issue is highly controversial in Washington. She also responded to questions such as physical redemption of spot Bitcoin ETFs by retail investors (she believes the possibility is low and hopes to further consider). She concluded that improper regulation or suppression of Bitcoin's potential was met with enthusiastic applause from Bitcoin enthusiasts present.
