Forward Industries Releases White Paper on Crypto Vault Regulatory Framework, Responding to SEC Commissioner Peirce's Statement

According to a public letter issued by Forward Industries (NASDAQ: $FWDI), General Counsel Georgia Quinn formally responded to SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce's July 22, 2026, statement "Headstands and Summervaults," proposing a three-tier vault regulatory framework centered on the core variable of "manager discretion": • Type I - Use: Developers provide only off-the-shelf software, with users configuring parameters independently, requiring no registration; • Type II - Follow: Drawing on the SEC's 2013 AngelList no-action letter, Angels set strategies for others to follow, subject to conditions such as co-investment and disclosure, and do not need to register as investment advisers; • Type III - Advised: Involves active management, requires registration or an applicable exemption, and recommends joint oversight by the SEC and CFTC to avoid dual compliance conflicts. The article also outlines five baseline requirements applicable to all vaults, including conflict of interest disclosure, public code audits, exclusion of disqualified persons, application of anti-fraud rules, and state law preemption. The article specifically notes that Peirce's statement did not mention the CFTC, and cross-agency regulatory issues regarding mixed-asset vaults urgently require the SEC and CFTC