SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce has submitted her formal resignation from the US Securities and Exchange Commission, effective Oct. 2.
Peirce, widely known as "Crypto Mom" for her advocacy of clear, rules-based regulation of the digital-asset industry, posted a copy of her resignation letter on her X account Friday. In the letter, she thanked the president for the "honor of her professional lifetime" serving as a commissioner and said she was leaving under the leadership of Chairman Paul Atkins and Commissioner Mark Uyeda, the two remaining members, who are both Republicans.
Peirce served on the commission for about eight years. Since Feb. 4, 2025, she also held the role of director of the agency's Crypto Task Force. Her term officially expired in June 2025, but commissioners may continue to serve up to approximately 18 months after their terms expire if not replaced, according to the agency.
Peirce is expected to join the law school of Regent University in Virginia as an associate professor in November. She will help the institution bolster its academic focus in federal litigation, securities regulation, and digital assets, according to the university.
Her seat may not be filled immediately. Caroline Crenshaw, the agency's previous Democratic commissioner, departed in January — 18 months after her term ended — and no nominations to fill that vacancy have been made by President Donald Trump.
Since Trump took office in January 2025, the SEC has significantly shifted its approach to crypto regulation and enforcement, dropping several enforcement actions and investigations into crypto companies, including those tied to Trump and his family. Since its formation, the Crypto Task Force has examined how existing securities laws apply to digital assets and decentralized systems.
In June, Peirce said publishing open-source code should not subject software developers to federal securities regulations, weighing in on a longstanding debate over developer liability in decentralized finance. Her remarks aligned with the SEC's broader shift away from what Atkins has described as "regulation by enforcement."
