President Donald Trump announced four new appointments to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), including Republican Steven Levine as the successor to former SEC commissioner Hester Peirce, a well‑known crypto‑friendly regulator.

Update, Nov 13, 07:42 UTC: According to BeInCrypto, Levine’s term on the SEC would run until June 5, 2030, and his background includes work as an associate at K&L Gates, senior counsel in the SEC’s Investment Management Division starting in 2020, and senior roles at the White House Council of Economic Advisers and the Labor Department. The report also notes that he met with Grayscale and Invesco‑Galaxy in December 2023 about spot‑Bitcoin ETF applications and later joined Commissioner Mark Uyeda in a discussion with investor Paradigm on custody and exchange rule proposals.

SEC nominations and crypto‑policy implications

Levine’s nomination fills the seat vacated by Peirce, who left the SEC in October after leading its Crypto Task Force and advocating for clearer digital‑asset rules. According to Cointelegraph, Levine’s stance on cryptocurrency regulation has not been publicly defined, contrasting with Peirce’s outspoken support for the sector. The other SEC nominee is Democrat Kristin Johnson, a former CFTC commissioner whose record emphasizes stronger consumer protections and conflict‑of‑interest safeguards for crypto firms. Both nominees will appear before the Senate Banking Committee before a full Senate vote.

CFTC appointments

For the CFTC, Trump put forward Republican Nathan Anonick and Democrat Matthew Rowland, both of whom previously worked on the Clarity Act. CFTC Chairman Mike Selig described the pair as “two strong bipartisan picks” and expressed optimism about their upcoming confirmation.

Political timing and Senate dynamics

The nominations arrive just weeks before Democrats are slated to take control of the Senate in January, giving the outgoing Republican majority a narrow window to confirm the picks. Currently, the SEC operates with only two of its five commissioner seats filled, while the CFTC has a single commissioner, Chairman Michael Selig, on its five‑member board. Confirmation will require a simple majority in the full Senate after committee review.

What to watch next

Stakeholders should monitor the Senate Banking and Agriculture Committee hearings, the timing of the full Senate votes, and any statements from crypto industry groups regarding Levine’s regulatory outlook. The outcome could shape the trajectory of U.S. crypto policy ahead of the new Senate majority.