Hester Peirce, the longest-serving crypto advocate at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, will leave the agency in November 2026 to join Regent University School of Law as an associate professor. The move, announced by Regent Law on May 19, signals the end of Peirce’s more than seven-year tenure as an SEC commissioner and the departure of the agency’s most prominent pro-innovation voice.
Peirce, often called “Crypto Mom” by the digital asset community, was appointed commissioner in January 2018 under President Donald Trump and has been a consistent dissenter during enforcement-heavy periods under former Chair Gary Gensler. In January 2025, she was named head of the SEC’s newly formed Crypto Task Force, which was tasked with crafting a 10‑point roadmap to resolve the regulator’s backlog of crypto‑related issues. Her term technically expired in mid‑2025, but SEC rules permit commissioners to serve up to 18 additional months without a confirmed replacement.
At Regent Law in Virginia Beach, Peirce will teach courses in securities regulation, financial markets, digital assets, and public policy. “Greg Jacob and Hester Peirce have served at the highest levels of law, government, and public life,” said Dean S. Ernie Walton. “Their decision to join Regent Law full time is a remarkable blessing for our students.”
Peirce’s exit removes a key figure who repeatedly pushed for an innovation policy that allows experimentation rather than reflexively applying traditional securities laws. Her absence at the SEC comes at a critical juncture, as the agency is still transitioning from a predominantly enforcement‑based approach to one that is supposed to provide clearer rules for the crypto sector.
