Commissioner Hester Peirce has submitted her resignation from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), effective Oct. 2. Due to her advocacy of clear rules for the cryptocurrency industr
Commissioner Hester Peirce has submitted her resignation from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), effective Oct. 2.
Due to her advocacy of clear rules for the cryptocurrency industry, the Republican Party member came to be affectionately known as “Crypto Mom.”
"Maximizing people's freedom to choose" the best for themselves within "sensible regulatory parameters" is a "delicate and vitally important task" for the regulator, Peirce said and hoped the SEC, under the leadership of Chair Paul Atkins and Commissioner Mark Uyeda — again, both Republicans, would continue to do so.
Related: Exclusive: SEC Commissioner Peirce says new crypto ETP rules aim to cut ‘chaos’
Peirce, who has been serving as the SEC commission since 2018, was appointed the director of the agency's Crypto Task Force in February 2025.
After Donald Trump returned to the White House in January last year, the SEC took a sharp U-turn in its approach to regulating crypto assets. The regulatory body dropped or settled its securities violation lawsuits against companies like Ripple, Coinbase, etc.
As far as Peirce is concerned, she never shied away from criticizing the agency's "regulation by enforcement" approach to cryptocurrencies and instead called for the regulator to take a pro-innovation approach.
As the Crypto Task Force director, she had been looking into applying the existing securities laws to the crypto ecosystem.
Peirce is now going to depart the agency. In May, the Regent University School of Law announced that she will join as an associate professor this November.
Related: New SEC, CFTC rules after CLARITY setback fuel Bitcoin rally
