FameEX Hot Topics | 700 SEC Staff Resign Amid Trump’s Crypto Revolution Sweeping Washington

Over 700 employees at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) have resigned in recent weeks amid a wave of federal cuts and pro-crypto reforms backed by former President Donald Trump. The mass exodus is raising hopes among digital asset advocates for a more favorable regulatory environment, signaling a potential turning point for the cryptocurrency industry.

According to a Reuters report citing five anonymous sources, the resignations are part of a voluntary departure program tied to Trump’s efforts to downsize the federal workforce. Among those leaving are key senior officials and lawyers from the SEC’s enforcement and legal departments. Since late January, more than 700 SEC employees have submitted their resignations, including over 150 from the enforcement division alone. Sources also revealed that more than a dozen senior staff members accepted early buyout offers.

The departures form part of a broader campaign led by Trump, Elon Musk, and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which aims to reduce what they view as a bloated and inefficient civil service. Earlier this year, the White House began offering financial incentives for early retirements and resignations, with the final deadline for SEC employees to accept those deals passing last Friday. Though more than 600 exits have already been confirmed, the number may rise further as final decisions are made.

The agency’s Division of Enforcement and the Office of General Counsel have been particularly impacted, according to two of the sources. Based on the SEC’s most recent budget report to Congress, the resignations represent over 12% of its workforce. The process began under Acting Chairman Mark Uyeda, while Trump’s nominee for SEC Chair, Paul Atkins, is set to testify before Congress next week. Current SEC staff are also facing uncertainty from ongoing reorganization efforts, potential office closures, and strategic realignments.

This staff shake-up aligns with a major pivot in the SEC’s stance on digital assets. Under the Trump administration’s pro-crypto agenda, the SEC has started dropping legal actions against several crypto firms. The White House recently hosted its first crypto summit and established a new crypto task force led by Commissioner Hester Peirce. These moves are being welcomed by the crypto community as signals of a more supportive and innovation-friendly regulatory climate in the U.S.

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