Trump Appoints Mark Uyeda as Interim SEC Chair, Signals Crypto Policy Changes

Trump appoints Mark Uyeda as interim SEC chair, signaling potential changes in crypto regulations and enforcement under new leadership.

President Donald Trump has chosen Mark Uyeda to acting lead the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) until a permanent chair is confirmed. Trump’s inauguration just hours before this announcement. The new interim chair will be Uyeda, also a Republican SEC commissioner.

Uyeda has been a critic of the SEC’s approach to cryptocurrency under previous SEC chair Gary Gensler. He criticized the SEC’s crypto enforcement as a “poorly conceived crypto policy” and sought a clearer crypto market regulatory scheme. Fellow Republican Commissioner Hester Peirce and Uyeda argued that current rules governing crypto assets, in particular secondary trading, are unsustainable. In a speech in March, they said the regulatory environment ‘needs to be reformed.’

Gensler’s departure means the SEC will get a new boss. Now crypto’s regulation could change, as it will be regulated by a Republican majority agency. Uyeda and Peirce are now thinking about beginning a process to clarify to the guidance of the SEC regarding crypto. They could also decide to examine pending enforcement cases. The SEC will soon adjust to its new leadership and these changes will follow soon.

Mark Uyeda SEC Leadership May Review Past Crypto Enforcement

Uyeda worked as securities counsel for former Representative Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) on the Senate Banking Committee before joining the SEC. He also served as counsel on two former SEC Commissioners, Michael Piwowar and Paul Atkins. In December, Atkins, a champion of crypto with a positive view, was announced as another key leader at the SEC. Atkins, however, still needs Senate confirmation. If confirmed, his term would run through June 5, 2026.

Finally, Mark Uyeda’s appointment as interim SEC chair by Trump might mean a small change in how the commission will treat crypto regulation. Now with a Republican majority in place, the SEC may move to bring more conclusive rules to the crypto market, and it would also review its past enforcement actions. If adopted, this could result in sweeping changes to cryptocurrency regulation in the U.S.