The Securities and Exchange Commission’s deputy director of the Division of Corporation Finance is retiring after playing a key role in shaping the agency’s approach to cryptocurrency.
The SEC announced Cicely LaMothe's retirement in a statement on Monday.
"The work has been incredibly challenging and rewarding, and I have learned immensely from the dedicated individuals who commit themselves daily to this critical mission," LaMothe said in the statement.
LaMothe was behind several pivotal staff statements involving crypto over the past year, including one clarifying that memecoins are not securities and another explaining the agency's stance on staking. Beyond crypto, LaMothe led policy recommendations for companies filing draft registration statements, among other efforts, the SEC said.
LaMothe joined the SEC's Division of Corporation Finance in 2002 and held several senior positions. Before the SEC, she worked in the private sector, is a licensed certified public accountant and received her bachelor's degree in accounting from Hampton University.
Crypto-friendly stance
LaMothe's retirement comes as the SEC enters its second year of taking on a new direction, one that is friendlier to the crypto industry.
Since the start of the Trump administration and later under a new chair, the agency has approved listing standards for certain crypto exchange-traded funds, which led to several firms launching ETFs tracking assets like DOGE, SOL, and XRP, dropped several enforcement cases against big-name crypto firms and embarked on "Project Crypto" to update the SEC's rules around digital assets.
On Monday, the SEC also announced that its Deputy Director of the Division of Enforcement in the Southeast Nekia Hackworth Jones, completed her tenure at the end of December.
"As both Atlanta Regional Director and Deputy Director overseeing the Home Office and the Atlanta and Miami regional offices, I have seen colleagues across this agency show a relentless commitment to protecting investors, impeccable judgment in carrying out the agency’s mission, and tremendous expertise in every aspect of the securities industry," Jones said.
