U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Commissioner Hester Peirce has invited small, early-stage cryptocurrency projects to meet with agency staff in Chicago on 15 September. Peirce said the session is intended to give nascent developers a chance to discuss regulatory expectations directly with the SEC. The outreach comes as the commission faces mounting pressure from industry participants and lawmakers to clarify how federal securities laws apply to digital-asset issuers and trading platforms. Peirce, who has frequently advocated a more accommodating stance toward innovation, did not specify an agenda but said the forum is open to projects at the earliest stages of development.