SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce Resigns, Effective October 2

SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce, widely known as "Crypto Mom" for her consistent advocacy of clear, rules-based crypto regulation, has formally resigned from the US Securities and Exchange Commission effective October 2. Peirce shared her resignation letter on X, thanking the president for "the honor of her professional lifetime" and noting she departs under the leadership of Chairman Paul Atkins and Commissioner Mark Uyeda, the two remaining Republican members of the commission.

Peirce served on the SEC for roughly eight years, a tenure that included her appointment in February 2025 as director of the agency's Crypto Task Force. Though her official term expired in June 2025, she remained in her role under the statutory provision allowing commissioners to serve up to 18 months beyond term expiration if not replaced. Cointelegraph previously reported that Peirce will join Regent University School of Law in Virginia as an associate professor in November, focusing on federal litigation, securities regulation, and digital assets.

Her departure leaves a vacancy unlikely to be filled immediately. Democratic Commissioner Caroline Crenshaw left the commission in January, 18 months after her term ended, with no Trump administration nomination to fill her seat. Since Trump returned to office in January 2025, the SEC has sharply shifted its crypto posture, dropping multiple enforcement actions and investigations, including those connected to Trump and his family. The Crypto Task Force, under Peirce's direction, has continued examining how existing securities laws apply to digital assets and decentralized systems, with Peirce previously arguing that publishing open-source code should not expose developers to federal securities liability.