Hester M. Peirce Plans to Leave SEC After Nearly Nine Years
Peirce will join Regent University School of Law as an associate professor in November 2026. She was designated to lead the SEC’s Crypto Task Force.
Hester M. Peirce, an SEC commissioner since 2018, is preparing to leave the agency after nearly nine years, a change that would remove one of its leading crypto-policy voices.
Peirce disclosed her plans in a June 9 speech, saying she was leaving Washington, D.C. She described herself as a “soon-to-be former regulator.”
Peirce will join Regent University School of Law as an associate professor in November 2026. Her work at the SEC has included leading the agency’s Crypto Task Force, which is developing its approach to digital assets.
The SEC has five commissioner seats. Its official roster, last updated Sept. 14, listed Chairman Paul S. Atkins, Peirce and Mark T. Uyeda as commissioners.
The agency can continue operating with two commissioners under its quorum rule. Peirce’s departure could nevertheless affect the commission’s ability to act when the remaining members disagree.
