Cicely LaMothe’s Legacy: A Pro-Crypto Voice at the SEC
The acting director of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Corporate Finance, Cicely LaMothe, has announced her resignation after a 24-year tenure at the commission. During her time at the SEC, LaMothe supported several pro-crypto initiatives that helped lay the foundation for the agency’s current, more supportive stance toward the digital assets space. Her retirement marks the end of an era for a key figure in the development of the SEC’s crypto policy.
LaMothe’s career at the SEC spanned over two decades, during which she held several senior leadership positions in the Division of Corporate Finance. In a pivotal year for the agency, she played a key role in providing staff advice on memecoins, staking frameworks, and crypto-linked exchange-traded products. Her work on crypto assets at the SEC focused on providing interpretive guidance through staff statements that helped clarify existing regulations.
Key Contributions to Crypto Policy
LaMothe notably spearheaded the recommendation that a meme coin not automatically be classified as a security, which was published earlier this year. This clarification proved crucial in paving the way for the filing of several meme coin ETFs, including those tied to assets like Dogecoin and Bonk. She was also behind a statement that provided clear guidance for distinguishing between centralized custodial staking and non-custodial staking by individuals, and another that helped lay the groundwork for a faster approval process for various crypto ETPs by the end of 2025.
In total, LaMothe was involved in releasing seven employee statements on a range of crypto-related topics, including the application of securities laws to certain stablecoin agreements and clarifications on disclosures for public companies engaged in crypto mining. Her contributions to the development of the SEC’s crypto policy have been significant, and her legacy will likely be felt for years to come.
The Departure of Pro-Crypto Voices
LaMothe’s retirement comes at a time when a number of other crypto-friendly officials are set to step down from key government roles. Caroline Pham, who served as acting chair of the CFTC for much of 2025, has announced that she is leaving the private sector to serve as chief legal officer at MoonPay, a crypto infrastructure services provider. Rostin Behnam, the former chairman of the CFTC who actively pushed Congress to give the agency greater oversight of spot crypto markets, also resigned earlier this year.
Meanwhile, Senator Cynthia Lummis, a major crypto advocate in Congress and a leading proponent of the idea of a US strategic Bitcoin reserve, has announced that she will not be running for re-election next November. The departure of these pro-crypto voices from key government roles may have significant implications for the development of crypto policy in the US.
For more information on Cicely LaMothe’s legacy and the impact of her retirement on the crypto industry, visit https://crypto.news/pro-crypto-sec-official-cicely-lamothe-retires-leaving-behind-a-crypto-friendly-legacy/
