Hester Peirce resigns from SEC, leaving crypto agenda in two hands

SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce, widely known in the cryptocurrency industry as ‘Crypto Mom’, has announced her resignation, effective October 2. Peirce, who has served on the commission since January 2018, will transition to academia as an associate professor at Regent University School of Law in November.

Peirce has been a prominent advocate for clearer regulatory frameworks for digital assets, often dissenting against the agency’s ‘regulation by enforcement’ approach. Since February 2025, she has led the SEC’s Crypto Task Force, which is tasked with updating how securities laws apply to digital assets, including work on staking, blockchain lending, and tokenization.

Her departure leaves the Securities and Exchange Commission with only two active commissioners: Chair Paul Atkins and Commissioner Mark Uyeda. Under SEC rules, a quorum can be maintained with two members, meaning the remaining commissioners can still vote on pending proposals, such as the Regulation Crypto Assets rule, even in her absence.