Crypto Mom Hester Peirce to leave SEC as crypto rule work continues

SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce, known throughout the crypto industry as “Crypto Mom,” has confirmed that she will leave the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in November and begin a new chapter as a law professor.

Peirce shared the news during an appearance on The Rollup podcast, saying she is ready for a change after spending nearly 30 years working in Washington, D.C. She joked that she is now “moving to the beach” and looking forward to teaching the next generation of legal professionals.

Starting later this year, Peirce will join Regent University School of Law as an associate professor. She is expected to teach courses covering securities regulation, financial markets, digital assets, and public policy.

Peirce has served as an SEC commissioner since 2018 and became one of the most recognizable voices in the crypto industry. Over the years, she earned the nickname “Crypto Mom” because of her support for clearer crypto regulations and her criticism of regulation through enforcement.

Although her official SEC term expired in June 2025, agency rules would have allowed her to remain in the role until late 2026 if no replacement had been confirmed. Instead, she has chosen to step down in November.

Her departure comes at an important time for the SEC. Since January 2025, Peirce has led the agency’s Crypto Task Force, a group focused on creating clearer guidelines for digital assets, token classifications, registration requirements, and other crypto-related issues.

The task force has also served as a channel for crypto companies and industry participants to provide feedback as regulators review existing rules.

One of the topics receiving significant attention is a possible SEC “innovation exemption” that could allow companies to test certain blockchain-based products while broader regulations are still being developed.

However, Peirce cautioned that many assumptions about the proposal are inaccurate. She emphasized that the exemption has not yet been released and should not be viewed as a blanket approval for all tokenized assets or crypto products.

When Peirce leaves, the SEC will be left with only two active commissioners unless new appointments are confirmed before then. That could have an impact on how quickly certain regulatory decisions move forward.

For the crypto industry, her exit marks the loss of one of the agency’s strongest advocates for balanced and transparent digital asset regulation. While the SEC’s work on crypto is expected to continue, many market participants will be watching closely to see whether the agency maintains the same pace and direction after her departure.

For now, Peirce says she is focused on finishing her work at the SEC and preparing for her new role in education, where she hopes to help train the next generation of lawyers and policymakers.