US SEC’s Last Major Legal Official Release, Leaves a Clean Slate for the Trump Era

The lead attorney of the US Securities and Exchange Commission, General Counsel Megan Barbero, leaving next weekjoining the exodus of senior agency officials who have been responsible for the SEC’s legal battles with the crypto industry in recent years.

“His measured advice and judgment have been critical to the Commission’s decision-making,” said Chair Gary Gensler, in a statement about Barbero’s departure, which is set for Jan. 20. That’s the day Gensler, who has SEC’s crypto statement, leaving tooas President-elect Donald Trump was sworn in for a second term.

Barbero is the lead attorney at the agency, responsible for how its legal department conducts its disputes over crypto businesses in federal courts and for advising on its enforcement posture. He has served as general counsel since February 2023.

SEC enforcement chief, Gurbir Grewal, left in Octoberand the accounting head behind the agency’s controversial crypto accounting policy, Paul Munter, also announced his pending departure this week.

Read more: The Crypto Banking Problem in the US Will Likely Be Among the First Things Tackled Under Trump