Trump picks Hester Peirce's successor in four SEC and CFTC nominations
The White House sent four names to the Senate: two for the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and two for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). Steven Levine is picked for Hester Peirce's seat.
Event: November 12, 2026
Primary source: November 12, 2026
Published here: November 13, 2026 at 04:56 AM UTC
Read: 2 min
What happened
On November 12 the White House nominated Steven Levine and Kristin Johnson to the SEC, and Nathan Anonick and Matthew Rowland to the CFTC. Levine would take Hester Peirce's seat, Johnson the seat of Caroline Crenshaw.
Why it matters to you
The SEC and CFTC write the crypto rules in the US. Right now only 2 of 5 SEC seats are filled, and Chairman Michael Selig is the only CFTC commissioner. Who sits on these boards shapes how fast and how friendly the rules for the market will be.
What to check and watch
Watch for hearings: the Senate Banking Committee handles SEC picks, the Agriculture Committee handles CFTC picks. Cointelegraph notes Democrats take control of the Senate in January, so time is short.
Where it’s happening
LIVEDrag to spin. Green dots: the exchange is trading right now (regular hours, holidays not counted). Shadow: where it is night now. Borders: Natural Earth, quakes: USGS. Layer idea: God’s Eye View (MIT).
Who was named. Republican Steven Levine goes to the SEC for a term ending June 5, 2030, replacing Hester Peirce. Democrat Kristin Johnson, a former CFTC commissioner, goes to the SEC for a term ending June 5, 2029, replacing Caroline Crenshaw. For the CFTC, Republican Nathan Anonick is named for a term to June 19, 2031 and Democrat Matthew Rowland for the rest of a term to April 13, 2028.
Why crypto cares. Hester Peirce led the SEC's Crypto Task Force and was one of the loudest voices for clear rules. She left in October. Levine's views on crypto are not well known. At the CFTC, Johnson pushed for stronger customer protection and conflict-of-interest rules for crypto firms, Cointelegraph reports.
Empty chairs. The SEC has 2 of 5 commissioners today, and CFTC Chairman Michael Selig is the only member of a five-seat commission. Selig called Anonick and Rowland strong bipartisan picks. Per Cointelegraph, both worked on the CLARITY Act, the crypto market structure bill.
What comes next. All four need Senate confirmation: first the committee, then a majority vote on the floor. Democrats take control of the Senate in January, which leaves Republicans a narrow window.
Confirmed facts
- On November 12, 2026 the White House sent four nominations to the Senate: two for the SEC and two for the CFTC.[1][2]
- Steven Levine is nominated to the SEC for a term ending June 5, 2030, replacing Hester Peirce.[1]
- Kristin Johnson is nominated to the SEC for a term ending June 5, 2029, replacing Caroline Crenshaw.[1]
- Nathan Anonick is nominated to the CFTC for a term ending June 19, 2031; Matthew Rowland for the rest of a term ending April 13, 2028.[1]
- The SEC has 2 of 5 seats filled; Chairman Michael Selig is the only CFTC commissioner.[2]
- Johnson is a former CFTC commissioner; Anonick and Rowland worked on the CLARITY Act.[2]
- All nominees need Senate confirmation; Democrats take control of the Senate in January.[2]
Implications
- ConfirmedNone of the nominees can take a seat without Senate confirmation.
- Our readingIf confirmed, the SEC and CFTC could decide with full or nearly full boards instead of one or two people. This is our inference.
- Our readingThe SEC's crypto course may be harder to predict after Peirce until Levine's views are known. This is our inference.
Still unknown
- When the Senate committees will hold hearings.
- What Steven Levine thinks about crypto.
- Whether the Senate confirms the picks before January.
Who it affects
United States. Anyone who trades crypto or follows US crypto regulation
Sources
- The White House: Nominations Sent to the Senate November 12, 2026 · official
- Cointelegraph: Trump nominates Hester Peirce successor among SEC, CFTC picks November 13, 2026 · media
Cover: Freekonomist graphic, a symbolic image, not a photo of the event. This is a news explainer, not financial advice.
More stories
MSCI kicks Strategy out of its indexes. Saylor says it doesn't matter. We did the maths
On November 30 Strategy leaves MSCI USA, World and ACWI. Funds will have to sell about $1.5B of stock, which is small. The real problem is elsewhere: the stock's premium to its bitcoin has almost gone, and Saylor's flywheel is slowing. The numbers, plus Arut's video.
US producer prices rise 6.5% in a year, the most since 2022
US producer prices rose 0.3% in October and 6.5% from a year earlier, the fastest pace since November 2022.
IEA: oil supply tops demand for the first time since the war began
The International Energy Agency says oil supply has overtaken demand for the first time since the war in Iran began, and stocks rose by 52 million barrels in October.
Morning brief by email
The night's key moves and what matters today, in 2 minutes. One-click unsubscribe.
BloFin
3M
7M
40M
60M
80M
250M