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Andre Cronje’s exit from DeFi in 2022 stemmed from relentless SEC harassment over his contributions to open-source crypto projects.
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Cronje faced escalating demands from the SEC, which, despite his non-US citizenship, drained his resources and ultimately led him to leave the industry.
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In a significant shift, a kinder SEC under new leadership by 2025 has encouraged Cronje to openly discuss his experiences with regulatory pressure.
Andre Cronje reveals SEC harassment led to his 2022 exit from DeFi, but changing regulatory attitudes in 2025 have inspired him to share his story.
Cronje Comes Clean on SEC Persecution
Andre Cronje, founder of Sonic (formerly Fantom), finally detailed the reasons behind his abrupt departure from the DeFi space in 2022. His exit sparked considerable speculation, as intermittent rumors of his return caused fluctuations in FTM’s price.
In a revealing blog post, Cronje described an aggressive campaign of harassment by the SEC that compelled him to retreat from the public eye.
Initially, the SEC contacted Cronje with a series of simple inquiries regarding his project, including questions about the identities of investors and profit distribution. However, the nature of these requests escalated over time.
“The letters kept coming, every time pivoting to a new angle of attack. It started investigating me from the angle of a raise and SEC violation. As I spent weeks and months trying to collect information and answer their questions, the drain on my time, energy, and resources became apparent. I was practically forced to completely stop development,” he shared.
After enduring two years of what he termed SEC persecution, Cronje ultimately relinquished his efforts to develop open-source projects, as the pressure left him with little motivation to continue.
Yet, despite this setback, Cronje remained “addicted to the space” and found ways to contribute discreetly while supporting other projects in the background.
“I simply could not be public, but kept working tirelessly all these years, and it is why I am finally close to releasing my new primitives,” Cronje noted.
With a projected shift in regulatory climate in 2025, following Gary Gensler’s resignation, the SEC appears to be adopting a more crypto-friendly stance, encouraging Cronje to reveal his ongoing narrative.
Previously, the fear of escalation from regulatory bodies kept him silent, but Cronje now senses a change, believing that the new SEC would be less inclined to continue aggressive tactics against innovators.
This account underscores the real regulatory challenges faced within the crypto industry under Gensler’s leadership. While some in the community have dismissed incidents like Operation Choke Point 2.0, they remain crucial parts of crypto’s evolving story.
Ultimately, the SEC’s relentless pursuit aimed to drive Andre Cronje out of the DeFi arena, but the crypto community’s resilience has proven effective in overcoming such pressures.
Conclusion
As Cronje prepares for a potential return to the public eye in a more favorable regulatory environment, his experience serves as a case study of the delicate balance between innovation and regulation in the crypto sector. With the landscape improving, the outlook for DeFi developers could be getting brighter, promoting a healthier relationship between regulators and innovators.
