US Securities and Exchange Commission Commissioner Hester Peirce has formally submitted her resignation, effective Oct. 2.
Peirce, often called "Crypto Mom" for her support of clear, rules-based regulation for the crypto industry, posted a copy of her resignation letter on X on Friday.
In the letter, she thanked the president for the "honor of her professional lifetime" in serving as a commissioner. She also said she was leaving the SEC under the leadership of Chairman Paul Atkins and Commissioner Mark Uyeda, the agency’s two remaining members, both Republicans.
Peirce served on the commission for about eight years. Since Feb. 4, 2025, she had also been director of the SEC’s Crypto Task Force. Her term officially expired in June 2025, but the agency says commissioners may continue serving for up to about 18 months after their terms end if they are not replaced before then.
Peirce set to join Regent University law school
Cointelegraph reported in May that Peirce planned to join the law school of Regent University in Virginia as an associate professor in November. According to the university, she is expected to help strengthen the school’s academic focus in federal litigation, securities regulation and digital assets.
Her seat may not be filled right away. Caroline Crenshaw, the SEC’s previous Democratic commissioner, left in January, 18 months after her term ended, and President Donald Trump has not made a nomination to fill that vacancy.
SEC crypto policy has shifted since 2025
Since Trump took office in January 2025, the SEC has sharply changed its approach to crypto regulation and enforcement. The agency has dropped several enforcement actions and investigations involving crypto companies, including matters tied to Trump and his family.
Since it was formed, the Crypto Task Force has been examining how existing securities laws should apply to digital assets and decentralized systems.
Cointelegraph also reported in June that Peirce said publishing open-source code should not subject software developers to federal securities regulation. Her comments addressed a long-running debate over developer liability in decentralized finance.
According to Cointelegraph, those remarks matched the SEC’s broader move away from what Atkins has described as "regulation by enforcement."