Hester Peirce, Known as 'Crypto Mom,' Leaving SEC for Academia
According to Regent Law, the addition of SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce to its faculty roster will enhance the institution's capabilities in the areas of securities regulation and digital asset education.
Commissioner Hester Peirce of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), who has served two terms at the regulatory body, leads the organization's cryptocurrency task force, and is affectionately referred to by the crypto community as "Crypto Mom," is set to transition to academia at Regent University School of Law.
According to an announcement made by Regent University on Tuesday, the institution revealed that Peirce is scheduled to assume her position as an associate professor beginning in November. While her official term at the SEC came to a close in June 2025, the agency's rules stipulate that commissioners "may continue to serve up to approximately 18 months after terms expire if they are not replaced before then."
Peirce's tenure at the SEC commenced in January 2018, following her nomination by President Donald Trump and subsequent confirmation by the Senate in December 2017. Her second term received confirmation in 2020. Of note, President Barack Obama had previously nominated her for a Republican position on the SEC in 2015, though the US Senate failed to take action on that nomination.
The law school anticipates that Peirce will strengthen its scholarly offerings across multiple disciplines, including federal litigation, securities regulation and digital assets, the university stated.
The vacancy left by Peirce may remain unfilled for some time. The agency's former Democratic commissioner, Caroline Crenshaw, left her position in January, a full 18 months following the expiration of her term, and President Trump has yet to put forward any nominees for that vacant seat. With Peirce's exit, the SEC will be left with just two Republican commissioners: Mark Uyeda and Chair Paul Atkins.
Following Trump's assumption of office in January 2025, the SEC has dramatically transformed its stance on cryptocurrency regulation and enforcement activities. The regulatory body withdrew multiple enforcement actions and investigations targeting crypto firms, including those with connections to Trump and members of his family.
CFTC also faces raft of vacancies
The SEC and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) collectively represent the two primary federal financial regulatory bodies with oversight responsibilities for various aspects of the cryptocurrency sector. Led by Atkins and CFTC Chair Michael Selig, both appointees of Trump, the two agencies announced their intention to collaborate on strategies aimed at eliminating what they described as "regulatory turf wars."
Nevertheless, as a digital asset market structure bill advances through Congress, numerous legislators are urging Trump to put forward nominations for a bipartisan slate of commissioners to ensure both agencies are operating at full capacity.
Currently, Selig serves as the only CFTC commissioner and chair on what is designed to be a five-member panel, and following Peirce's forthcoming exit, the SEC will operate with merely two of its five commissioner positions filled. As of Wednesday, Trump had not made public any nominations for either regulatory agency.
The proposed market structure legislation, known as the CLARITY Act, is anticipated to transfer a significant portion of the oversight responsibilities and regulatory authority for crypto markets away from the SEC and into the hands of the CFTC.