Highly recommend giving this piece a read if you haven’t. From SEC Commissioner @HesterPeirce … Commissioner Pierce has been a voice of reason within the agency - long before the recent turn of the tide in U.S. Her latest remarks offer a thoughtful reflection on issues with profound implications for our daily lives: the delicate balance between security and privacy, the promise of emerging technologies (particularly cryptography, blockchain, and zero-knowledge proofs) to empower individuals, and dragon-slayer’s curse of becoming evil when combatting wrongdoings. These are not merely academic debates. Having worked in crypto trenches — where innovation is fundamentally re-architecting the legacy systems — I’ve seen how critical it is to defend individuals’ digital rights: direct private transactions, direct censorship-resistant communications, and true private ownership through self-custody. The fight for self-custody, open protocols, and privacy-preserving tech isn’t about technology alone. It’s about preserving constitutional values in the digital age and keeping every free (wo)man free. This speech from Commissioner Hester showcases the spirit of how to preserve America as a land of liberty and hope - by defending different voices even if you disagree; by meeting each wave of technological progress with purpose, transparency, and the courage to challenge inertia; by embracing the temporary pain and chaos in order to build something new and worthy. Championing PRINCPLES overs FEAR - then we can build with hope and direction. Belated happy watermelon day! (And as much as I enjoy her story of waltermelon with peanut butter, I don’t think I’ll have the guts to try this refreshing recipe😅)