Is privacy crypto’s last stand? Industry experts on the legal battles ahead

Coin Center’s Peter Van Valkenburgh says crypto is at a crossroads, and urges policymakers to protect privacy and defend decentralized networks from overreach.
With financial surveillance expanding and global regulators eyeing stricter controls, crypto advocates are warning that the fight for digital privacy is entering a critical phase. On the latest episode of The Clear Crypto Podcast, Peter Van Valkenburgh, executive director of Coin Center, described the current moment as a tipping point.
“The stakes have just gotten higher in D.C., not necessarily uniformly better,” he said, pointing to a political climate where crypto has become both more mainstream and more polarizing.
Founded in 2014, Coin Center has long served as an independent voice in crypto policy circles. At that time, lawmakers were beginning to have questions about Bitcoin.