Steven Levine Named to Fill Hester Peirce's SEC Role in Latest Regulatory Appointments
The administration also designated a former commissioner from the CFTC and two individuals with CLARITY Act experience as candidates to occupy open positions at both the SEC and CFTC.
President Donald Trump of the United States has selected Steven Levine as the replacement for outgoing Securities and Exchange Commission Commissioner Hester Peirce, who served as one of the most vocal supporters of cryptocurrency within the agency, as part of a broader slate of four nominations intended to address vacancies at both the SEC and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
In an announcement made by the White House on Thursday, two candidates were put forward for each regulatory body—the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission—both of which play critical roles in determining US cryptocurrency oversight, in addition to their other responsibilities. Each of the four nominations must receive Senate confirmation before the appointees can assume their positions.
These nominations would fill multiple commissioner positions that have remained vacant. At present, the SEC is operating with just two commissioners occupying its five-member commission, while at the CFTC, Chairman Michael Selig represents the only sitting member of what should be a five-person commission.
These nominations arrive just weeks ahead of the Democratic Party's scheduled assumption of Senate control in January, creating a limited timeframe for Republican lawmakers to push through confirmation of Trump's selections.
Levine, who is affiliated with the Republican Party, received his nomination for an SEC commissioner term scheduled to conclude on June 5, 2030, filling the position vacated by Peirce, who departed from the agency in October. During her tenure, Peirce emerged as a prominent champion for more transparent cryptocurrency regulations at the SEC, playing a pivotal role in defining the agency's digital asset strategy through her leadership of its Crypto Task Force, whereas Levine has not made his positions on crypto regulation as publicly known.
Additionally, Trump put forward Democrat Kristin Johnson, who previously served as a CFTC commissioner, to fill the SEC position currently held by Caroline Crenshaw, whose term has similarly expired. The proposed term for Johnson would conclude on June 5, 2029. Throughout her tenure at the CFTC, Johnson has been a proponent of enhanced customer safeguards and more rigorous conflict-of-interest regulations for cryptocurrency companies.
Regarding the CFTC appointments, Trump selected Republican Nathan Anonick and Democrat Matthew Rowland, both of whom contributed to the development of the Clarity Act. CFTC Chairman Mike Selig characterized them as "two strong bipartisan picks" to serve as CFTC commissioners and expressed his anticipation of collaborating with them once they receive confirmation.
According to standard procedure, the nominees would present themselves before the Senate Banking Committee for consideration of the SEC appointments and before the Senate Agriculture Committee for the CFTC positions. After the committees complete their evaluation process, the nominations would advance to the full Senate chamber, where a majority vote is necessary to achieve confirmation.