{"id":38059,"date":"2024-12-02T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-12-02T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/?p=38059"},"modified":"2025-12-05T06:33:12","modified_gmt":"2025-12-05T03:33:12","slug":"who-is-hester-peirce-and-why-is-she-dubbed-the-crypto-mom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/who-is-hester-peirce-and-why-is-she-dubbed-the-crypto-mom\/","title":{"rendered":"Who Is Hester Peirce and Why Does the Community Call Her &#8220;Crypto Mom&#8221;?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-text-wrappers-cards single_card\">\n<h2 class=\"card_label\">Key points<\/h2>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Hester Peirce is an SEC commissioner.<\/li>\n<li>She argues against heavy-handed and inconsistent regulation.<\/li>\n<li>Peirce is a vocal supporter of the crypto industry and sees digital assets as a powerful engine of innovation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-text-wrappers-cards single_card\">\n<h2 class=\"card_label\">Education and early years<\/h2>\n<p>In 1993 Hester Peirce earned a BA in economics from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Five years later, she received a JD from Yale Law School.<\/p>\n<p>Peirce began her career at the US Court of Federal Claims and in private practice. She joined the SEC\u2019s Division of Investment Management in 2000 and, four years later, became counsel to Commissioner Paul Atkins.<\/p>\n<p>From 2008 to 2011 Peirce worked for the US Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. She focused on financial-sector reform after the 2008 crisis, including overseeing the roll-out of new rules and ensuring compliance.<\/p>\n<p>From 2012 to 2017 Peirce was a senior research fellow at the <span data-descr=\"one of the leading research institutes working on the study of market economics, public policy and regulation\" class=\"old_tooltip\">Mercatus Center<\/span> at George Mason University, concentrating on financial markets and regulation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-text-wrappers-cards single_card\">\n<h2 class=\"card_label\">Career at the SEC<\/h2>\n<p>In 2015 then-US president Barack Obama <a href=\"https:\/\/obamawhitehouse.archives.gov\/the-press-office\/2015\/10\/20\/president-obama-announces-another-key-administration-post\">nominated<\/a> Peirce to the SEC\u2019s <span data-descr=\"the agency\u2019s governing body of five members (commissioners). They are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate.\" class=\"old_tooltip\">Commissioners\u2019 Board<\/span> to fill a Republican-designated vacancy. Democrats withheld support and the full Senate never held a vote.<\/p>\n<p>A second attempt proved successful: in 2017, at the behest of then-president Donald Trump, Peirce took a seat on the SEC. She was sworn in on January 11, 2018, and her term was later extended to 2025.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-qw.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXeyuhahf5_k8eCyOXHquZ2Pjlofin_7DN1q74i7y0HZlcwTp9OrwPKOoMmfN0J6MwAZUtVsdTVv2LZcprJh737qmQNB1VV4Bcz8viLH7MTqSLLYqpMP1QZeJ-0iNC1tcX5Un70w?key=rcFMyCHM4fbZFReuXY3UBEoe\" alt=\"Who is Hester Peirce and why is she called 'crypto mom'?\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">SEC commissioners as of December 2024. Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sec.gov\/about\/sec-commissioners\">SEC<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-text-wrappers-cards single_card\">\n<h2 class=\"card_label\">The \u2018crypto mom\u2019 moniker<\/h2>\n<p>At the SEC, Peirce became known for a friendly stance toward digital assets. Her steady backing for the industry earned her the nickname \u201ccrypto mom\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>She has called cryptocurrencies a powerful tool for innovation and economic freedom. Arguing that regulation should foster technology, she repeatedly criticised the agency\u2019s refusals to approve bitcoin <a href=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/news\/what-is-a-cryptocurrency-etf\">ETF<\/a> applications, took issue with the SEC\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/news\/hester-peirce-criticizes-secs-regulatory-approach\">stance<\/a> toward the industry, highlighted the harm of regulatory ambiguity, and urged faster rulemaking for the sector.<\/p>\n<p>In February 2020 Peirce proposed a three\u2011year regulatory safe harbour for start-ups conducting token sales. In April 2021 she <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sec.gov\/news\/public-statement\/peirce-statement-token-safe-harbor-proposal-2.0?utm_medium=email&#038;utm_source=govdelivery\">unveiled<\/a> a second version of the safe harbour for <a href=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/news\/what-is-an-ico-and-can-you-profit-from-it\">ICO<\/a> projects.<\/p>\n<p>At the time, the commissioner stressed the need to work with crypto firms to build a \u201csensible framework\u201d for oversight and urged the Commission to create a system for engaging the industry. In her view, over\u2011enforcement and inconsistent decisions <a href=\"https:\/\/cointelegraph.com\/news\/sec-embroiled-court-cases-hester-peirce-crypto-firms-united-states\">threatens<\/a> to push companies to other jurisdictions.<\/p>\n<p>Peirce openly disagreed with Chair Gary Gensler\u2019s approach to policing crypto. She condemned the SEC\u2019s actions in the LBRY case and questioned the usefulness of the Howey test for classifying cryptoassets.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-text-wrappers-cards single_card\">\n<h2 class=\"card_label\">Outlook<\/h2>\n<p>On November 21, 2024, Gensler <a href=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/news\/gary-genslers-departure-a-retrospective-on-the-sec-chairs-tenure\">announced<\/a> his resignation on Donald Trump\u2019s <span data-descr=\"25 January 2025\" class=\"old_tooltip\">inauguration day<\/span>. The US president\u2011elect had <a href=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/news\/bitcoin-dips-to-67000-amid-trumps-bitcoin-2024-speech\">pledged<\/a> to fire the SEC chair.<\/p>\n<p>At the time of writing, it is unknown who will lead the Commission. According to <a href=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/news\/potential-candidates-for-sec-chairmanship-under-a-trump-presidency\">reporting<\/a> by Politico, Peirce is on the list of contenders.<\/p>\n<p>The crypto community has backed the prospect. Bankless co\u2011founder Ryan Adams said \u201cno one deserves it more\u201d. Commenting on his tweet, Coinbase chief Brian Armstrong called Peirce \u201cthe best choice\u201d.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">She would be the best choice. Smart, fair, professional. Can work with both sides. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/YSs7DpNOnP\">https:\/\/t.co\/YSs7DpNOnP<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Brian Armstrong (@brian_armstrong) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/brian_armstrong\/status\/1854561241144111104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">November 7, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>However, sources close to Peirce told <a href=\"https:\/\/unchainedcrypto.com\/if-trump-wins-could-crypto-get-hester-peirce-as-sec-chair\/\">Unchained<\/a> that she plans to leave the Commission at the end of her term in June 2025. They said she \u201chas made it clear that she wants to leave the agency\u201d. One source noted they first heard of her intention to step down a year ago.<\/p>\n<p>Even so, three sources told the outlet that Peirce could stay and take the SEC chair if asked directly by the US president.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Who is Hester Peirce and why is she called \u2018crypto mom\u2019? We answer in cards.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":38060,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"select":"1","news_style_id":"1","cryptorium_level":"1","_short_excerpt_text":"","creation_source":"ai_translated","_metatest_mainpost_news_update":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2113],"tags":[2136,18],"class_list":["post-38059","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cryptorium","tag-101-people","tag-bitcoin"],"aioseo_notices":[],"amp_enabled":true,"views":"143","promo_type":"1","layout_type":"1","short_excerpt":"","is_update":"0","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38059","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38059"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38059\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":91856,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38059\/revisions\/91856"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/38060"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38059"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38059"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38059"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}