Friday, January 23, 2026

DeFi Leaders Push Back as DAO, Governance and Custody Debates Intensify

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United States lawmakers postponed a deliberate markup of the Digital Asset Market Readability Act (CLARITY), delaying progress on a invoice supposed to outline how cryptocurrencies and decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms are regulated and prompting renewed pushback from DeFi leaders who say the invoice nonetheless fails to adequately defend builders. 

Business teams and crypto enterprise companies warned that proposed amendments might impose necessities that aren’t appropriate for decentralized programs. Representatives from Paradigm and Variant mentioned the present draft leaves unresolved ambiguity over whether or not DeFi builders and infrastructure suppliers may very well be pressured to implement Know Your Buyer (KYC), register with monetary regulators or adjust to guidelines designed for centralized platforms.

The delay follows mounting criticism from throughout the crypto sector, together with public opposition from Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong, which led Senate Banking Committee Chair Tim Scott to announce a “temporary pause.” 

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Vitalik Buterin requires a brand new DAO design for onchain disputes and governance

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin known as for a rethink of how decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) are designed, arguing that the majority DAOs have change into little greater than token-voting treasuries. 

Buterin mentioned that this mannequin is inefficient, weak and fails to enhance on conventional governance programs. He added that DAOs needs to be purpose-built to assist core infrastructure like oracles, onchain dispute decision, insurance coverage selections and long-term mission stewardship. 

Supply: Vitalik Buterin

He additionally outlined how completely different governance points require completely different constructions, distinguishing between instances that profit from decisive management and broad compromise. 

Buterin warned that low participation, whale dominance and determination fatigue stay main challenges, and mentioned that privateness instruments, restricted AI help and higher governance design are essential to DAOs. 

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DeFi protocol Pendle revamps governance token, citing low adoption

DeFi protocol Pendle is revamping its governance mannequin by phasing out its vePENDLE token and introducing a brand new liquid staking and governance token, sPENDLE. 

The crew mentioned vePENDLE’s lengthy lock-up durations, lack of transferability and advanced voting mechanics restricted participation, even as the protocol grew to almost $3.5 billion in complete worth locked (TVL). 

Supply: Pendle

The brand new token goals to decrease the obstacles by permitting withdrawals after a 14-day unwinding interval, enabling integrations throughout different DeFi platforms and simplifying governance participation. 

Pendle can also be streamlining necessities for voting and plans to make use of as much as 80% of protocol income for governance rewards and token buybacks. 

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New SEC submissions press on self-custody and DeFi regulation

Two new submissions to the US Securities and Change Fee’s crypto process power are including stress on regulators to make clear how self-custody rights and DeFi exercise needs to be handled underneath upcoming market construction guidelines. 

A submitting referencing Louisiana legislation that protects retail customers’ proper to self-custody warned that overly broad exemptions in federal proposals can weaken investor protections and improve dangers of fraud. 

One other submission from the Blockchain Affiliation argued that corporations buying and selling tokenized equities or DeFi property from their very own accounts mustn’t routinely be labeled as regulated sellers.

The filings come as negotiations proceed in Congress, with policymakers and trade figures pushing for a compromise.