David Hirsch, the head of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) cryptocurrency oversight and enforcement unit, has left the Wall Street regulator.
Hirsch announced his departure from the SEC on LinkedIn. A reason for his leaving the agency has not been made public.
Hirsch was the chief of the cryptocurrency asset and cyber unit in the Division of Enforcement at the SEC. As such, he was largely responsible for the agency’s crackdown on digital assets.
“This past Friday was my last day with the SEC after almost nine years," Hirsch wrote online. “I’m particularly proud of the historic work done by the Crypto Assets and Cyber Unit team I had the privilege to lead.”
For several years, Hirsch led the SEC's crackdown on crypto exchanges and decentralized finance (DeFi) projects that the regulator claims were operating illegally and without a license.
As such, Hirsch was frequently criticized by cryptocurrency advocates online and in the media.
In recent interviews, Hirsch said that the SEC’s litigation load is heavy but vowed to continue chasing down crypto firms that it sees as violating U.S. securities laws.
Hirsch has not said what his next job is but said he would be “sharing more about that soon.”
