Hester Peirce on SEC enforcement
From Regulation by Enforcement Is 'Not Effective' for Crypto: SEC Commissioner Peirce | First Mover · · CoinDesk
“I think we really need a reset. We need to engage people in policymaking whose job is not enforcement but whose job is actually policymaking and that's a different set of people at the SEC.”
On , Hester Peirce, Commissioner at SEC, spoke about SEC enforcement during Regulation by Enforcement Is 'Not Effective' for Crypto: SEC Commissioner Peirce | First Mover on CoinDesk.
About Hester Peirce
SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce, who leads the SEC's Crypto Task Force, has been discussing the agency's shift in approach to digital asset regulation during a series of podcast appearances in April and May 2026. Peirce said the SEC "lost time" under its prior approach and described the current direction as moving from "suing first to writing rules first." She noted the agency has issued a five-part token taxonomy classifying sixteen assets as digital commodities, published interpretive guidance, and is working on a rule for capital raising with crypto assets. Peirce also cited the passage of the Genius Act covering stablecoins as an example of progress, while acknowledging that "there's still a lot ahead to be done." Peirce has emphasized that the SEC's role is to write rules for securities, not to determine whether asset prices rise or fall. She stated that "the best way you can protect investors is to make sure there's a dynamic marketplace" and argued for "permissionless innovation" as a baseline principle. Peirce said she would eliminate the accredited investor definition, calling it "contrary to American principles." She also responded to criticism about reduced enforcement numbers, saying that looking at enforcement counts to assess efficacy is "difficult" and that she believed some past enforcement actions were "unjustified." Peirce is preparing to conclude her tenure at the SEC later in 2026.