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SEC’s Head of Crypto Assets Quits After 9 Years

June 17, 2024

David Hirsch, the Chief of Crypto Assets and the Cyber Unit in the Division of Enforcement at The US Securities and Exchange Commission has stepped down after serving for almost a decade.

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Chalking out the details via a post on LinkedIn, Hirsch said,

“This past Friday was my last day with the SEC after almost 9 years. I’m particularly proud of the historic work done by the Crypto Assets and Cyber Unit team I had the privilege to lead.”

Notably, Hirsch joined the agency as a staff attorney in the Fort Worth Regional Office. With time, he catered to complex, challenging investigations and issues than he “ever imagined.”

He further went on to assert that securities enforcement is a “team sport,” and every success he was a part of was the “direct result of collaboration and combined efforts towards a common goal.”

Under the leadership of Hirsch, the agency targeted multiple exchanges - including Coinbase and Binance - and pressed charges against them. In fact, at that time, he also went on to assert that the DeFi label will not help shield projects from the regulator's oversight.

Before joining the SEC, Hirsch was a Member of the Legal Advisory Board of the NYU Center for Cybersecurity. He has also worked at McDermott Will & Emery as a litigator during the early stages of his career.

The former regulator has not yet revealed his future plans but hinted that he is poised to take a break and travel before getting into the trenches again.

Leaving aside the agency, there have been several top leadership shufflings that have taken place of late. Michael Sonnenshein, the former CEO of Grayscale, stepped down from his position to pursue other interests. This, in turn, has paved the path for Peter Mintzberg to take up reigns at the digital asset management company.

Io.net’s CEO, Ahmad Shadid, also quit recently. Tory Green has taken over. Likewise, dYdX’s Founder Antonio Juliano stripped himself of the CEO title and now assumes the role of Chairman and President.

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