SEC Creates Crypto Task Force Led by Commissioner Hester Peirce Amid June Term Concerns

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission created a cryptocurrency task force to develop a regulatory framework for digital assets, with Acting SEC Chairman Mark Uyeda saying it is intended to help the SEC move away from its prior reliance on enforcement actions.

The initiative is led by SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce, who the SEC announcement described as supporting an approach that balances investor protection, market integrity, and innovation, according to Investopedia’s account of the SEC’s statement.

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Investopedia also tied the task force’s work to coordination with other federal agencies including the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), state regulators, and international counterparts.

The Block reported that TD Cowen’s Washington Research Group, led by Jaret Seiberg, flagged a key concern that Peirce may depart when her term expires in June, even though the task force was unveiled Tuesday by Acting SEC Chair Mark Uyeda.

In a separate thread about Peirce’s SEC timeline, TradingView said Peirce’s term officially expired in June 2025 and that commissioners “may continue to serve up to approximately 18 months after terms expire if they are not replaced before then,” according to the agency.

The Block said Peirce was appointed to lead the SEC’s newly announced crypto task force earlier this week, and it quoted Jaret Seiberg saying, "We also believe Uyeda would not have announced this without the support of" Atkins.

TradingView reported that Peirce will join the Regent University School of Law as faculty, with the law school saying she would join as an associate professor starting in November.

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TradingView also stated that Peirce joined the SEC in January 2018 after her nomination by President Donald Trump and Senate confirmation in December 2017, and it said she was confirmed for her second term in 2020.

Cinco Días described the SEC’s working group as announced by acting chair Mark T. Uyeda and said it aims to develop a comprehensive, clear, and sensible regulatory framework for crypto assets.

In the same Cinco Días account, Peirce said, "Using enforcement actions to tell people what the law is in an emerging industry is not an efficient or fair way to regulate," as she criticized the SEC’s enforcement-driven approach.

Investopedia said the SEC still has a number of cases open against various crypto companies and projects, including Coinbase and Ripple, and it noted that a report indicated these cases will be reviewed under the new administration.

“Summary - Hester Peirce, one of the SEC’s leading pro-digital-asset voices, is set to step down in November”

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Cinco Días said the SEC explains that the new team will work with Congress and with federal departments and agencies, including the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), led by acting chair Caroline Pham, and with state and international regulators.

Zamin.uz reported that with Peirce’s departure only two Republican commissioners will remain at the SEC: Mark Uyeda and Chair Paul Atkins, while it said many positions remain vacant.

The Block added that the task force could help Congress identify legislative gaps that need to be addressed, and it described the initiative as an important and overdue step toward regulatory clarity in the crypto space.

TradingView said the market structure bill, the CLARITY Act, is expected to shift many of the responsibilities and authority regulating crypto markets from the SEC to CFTC, while it also reported that Trump had not announced any nominations to either agency as of Wednesday.