Hester Peirce, the SEC commissioner nicknamed "Crypto Mom" for her outsized influence on U.S. digital asset policy, has made her exit official, with her resignation taking effect on October 2
Hester Peirce, the SEC commissioner nicknamed "Crypto Mom" for her outsized influence on U.S. digital asset policy, has made her exit official, with her resignation taking effect on October 2, 2026.
Peirce formally submitted her resignation to the White House, sharing a photo of her resignation letter with the message, "T minus 7," signalling a one-week countdown to her departure from the agency.
Peirce had served as an SEC commissioner since January 2018, with her term originally set to expire in 2025. SEC rules permitted an 18-month extension that pushed her actual departure into 2026. Most recently, she led the SEC's Crypto Task Force, launched in January 2025, to shift the agency toward clearer frameworks for digital assets. She had been nicknamed "Crypto Mom" by the industry for her dissents against Biden-era enforcement actions on digital asset companies.
In her resignation, Peirce expressed confidence that "under the excellent leadership of Chairman Paul Atkins and Commissioner Mark Uyeda, the talented men and women of the Securities and Exchange Commission will continue to achieve that balance."
As of mid-September 2026, the SEC listed only three sitting commissioners: Chairman Paul Atkins, Peirce, and Mark Uyeda. Her exit leaves just two. An SEC rule adopted in 1995 permits the commission to conduct business with fewer than three commissioners, but a two-person body would test that provision in ways that have no modern precedent, and could complicate rulemaking, enforcement actions, and other key functions. The White House has not announced a nominee to replace Peirce on the commission.
Regent University School of Law announced in May 2026 that it would welcome Peirce as an associate professor, where she will teach securities regulation, financial markets, digital assets, and public policy.
Sources:American Banker: SEC Commissioner Peirce to leave agencyRegent University: Regent Law Welcomes Hester M. Peirce to FacultyInvestmentNews: SEC loses Hester Peirce, deepening a commissioner crisis
