Lighter CEO Vladimir Novakovski said at the first meeting of the CFTC (U.S. derivatives regulator) Innovation Advisory Committee that DeFi (decentralized finance without central intermediaries) should not be treated as an adversary by regulators. He argued that on-chain verifiable transaction records can support regulatory goals involving transparency, consumer protection and market fairness. Novakovski said decentralized, verifiable finance could become an important part of the United States' future financial infrastructure, while urging the industry to move toward open-source and verifiable technology. He also said AI could help democratize finance by enabling users to build trading strategies based on their own judgments, a capability previously concentrated among high-net-worth individuals and professionals.