Hester Peirce, a member of the US Securities and Exchange Commission, confirmed in a statement on the Rollup podcast that she will leave the institution in November this year. Peirce, who has long been known as “Crypto Mom” in the digital asset industry, stated that she will leave her post in Washington after nearly 30 years.
Separation schedule and new position
Peirce reminded that his term officially ends on June 5, 2025, but US law allows SEC members to remain in office for up to 18 months until a successor is appointed and Senate confirmation is received. This arrangement would allow Peirce to continue his duties until early December 2026. However, his last statement revealed that he would leave in November without waiting for this extension.
It was announced that Peirce will work as an associate professor at Regent University School of Law after the separation. In his statement, he said that he was excited to work with the new generation of lawyers and that he wanted to contribute to the preparation process for the problems that the next generation must solve.
Peirce stated that he will teach at the faculty of law and that he is excited to work with the next generation, that many problems that cannot be solved today are left to the future and that he wants to contribute to the training of people who will take on these problems.
The table to be formed within the SEC
With Peirce’s departure, the number of active members in the SEC will be reduced to two. Only Chairman Paul Atkins and Commissioner Mark Uyeda will remain at the institution. According to the news, there is no active member appointed by Democrats within the agency.
This development attracts attention, especially for the cryptocurrency industry. Peirce was appointed head of the SEC’s Crypto Task Force in early 2025. For this reason, it is evaluated that his separation may create a significant leadership gap in regulatory efforts regarding digital assets.
Crypto framework and priorities
Peirce’s recent priorities include regulatory changes that will allow more companies to go public sooner, removing the trade through rule, and most importantly, paving the way for a comprehensive regulatory framework for crypto assets.
Peirce first started working at the SEC in January 2018. He was later renominated in 2020 and confirmed by the US Senate in August that same year. During his tenure at the institution, he stood out by calling for clearer and more enforceable rules, especially regarding digital assets.
“Innovation exemption” debate
There has been intense speculation in the market lately about the SEC’s “innovation exemption” step for digital assets. Peirce, on the other hand, gave a message that limited expectations. Emphasizing that the exemption in question has not yet been published, the SEC member said that it was not designed to support the trading of synthetic securities.
Mini dictionary: Innovation exemption refers to the temporary exemption approach of regulatory authorities that allows testing of new products or technologies under limited conditions. In the context of the news, this concept is referred to as a narrow scope of flexibility before broader rules for digital assets come into force.
Peirce emphasized that the innovation exemption regulation has not been published yet and said that it is not intended to support synthetic securities transactions and that such tools are not included in the planned scope.
According to Peirce’s assessment, this initiative does not mean unconditional support for blockchain technology. Still, it is seen as a significant step forward in the regulatory approach to digital assets.
