Share this article
SEC Enforcement Director to Step Down by End of Year
Enforcement Director Stephanie Avakian led SEC investigations during the heart of its ICO crackdown.
By Danny Nelson
Updated Sep 14, 2021, 10:41 a.m. Published Dec 10, 2020, 6:40 p.m.
Stephanie Avakian, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) enforcement director who led investigations since 2017, including during the entirety of SEC's initial coin offering (ICO) crackdown, plans to leave the agency this year.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today. See all newsletters
- SEC said Thursday that Avakian created the Cyber Unit responsible for managing crypto-related securities violations, especially the ICO projects that attempt to raise capital without filing.
- A CoinDesk review of SEC enforcement filings shows the regulator initiated at least 46 actions against ICOs during Avakian's tenure as director.
- Avakian took over the Enforcement Division in June 2017. She had previously served as deputy enforcement director from June 2014.
More For You
What to know:
- As of October 2025, GoPlus has generated $4.7M in total revenue across its product lines. The GoPlus App is the primary revenue driver, contributing $2.5M (approx. 53%), followed by the SafeToken Protocol at $1.7M.
- GoPlus Intelligence's Token Security API averaged 717 million monthly calls year-to-date in 2025 , with a peak of nearly 1 billion calls in February 2025. Total blockchain-level requests, including transaction simulations, averaged an additional 350 million per month.
- Since its January 2025 launch , the $GPS token has registered over $5B in total spot volume and $10B in derivatives volume in 2025. Monthly spot volume peaked in March 2025 at over $1.1B , while derivatives volume peaked the same month at over $4B.
More For You
Japan’s Higher Rates Puts Bitcoin in the Crosshairs of a Yen Carry Unwind
A stronger yen typically coincides with de-risking across macro portfolios, and that dynamic could tighten liquidity conditions that recently helped bitcoin rebound from November’s lows.
What to know:
- The Bank of Japan is expected to raise interest rates to 0.75% at its December meeting, the highest since 1995, affecting global markets including cryptocurrencies.
- A stronger yen could lead to de-risking in macro portfolios, impacting liquidity conditions that have supported bitcoin's recent recovery.
- Governor Kazuo Ueda indicated a high probability of a rate hike, with officials prepared for further tightening if their economic outlook supports it.
Top Stories
