SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce to leave post on Oct. 2

Hester Peirce, a Commissioner at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and known as “Crypto Mom,” has formally resigned, effective October 2. She publicly shared her resignation letter on social media, expressing gratitude for her time at the commission.

Peirce's departure comes under the leadership of Chairman Paul Atkins and Commissioner Mark Uyeda. She served on the commission for approximately eight years, and since February 4, 2025, also directed the agency's Crypto Task Force. Her official term was set to expire in June 2025.

Peirce is expected to join Regent University's law school in Virginia as an associate professor in November. The university anticipates her contributions will enhance academic focus in areas such as federal litigation, securities regulation, and digital assets.

The immediate filling of Peirce's seat is uncertain. The agency's previous Democratic commissioner, Caroline Crenshaw, departed in January, 18 months after her term concluded, and no nominations for that position have been made by President Donald Trump.

Since Trump assumed office in January 2025, the SEC has significantly altered its approach to crypto regulation and enforcement. The agency has discontinued several enforcement actions and investigations against crypto companies, including some associated with Trump and his family.

The Crypto Task Force, which Hester Peirce led, has been evaluating the applicability of existing securities laws to digital assets and decentralized systems. Peirce previously stated that publishing open-source code should not subject software developers to federal securities regulations, aligning with the SEC's broader shift away from what Chairman Atkins has termed “regulation by enforcement.”