Share this article
SEC Chairman Jay Clayton Stepping Down at End of Year
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Jay Clayton will leave his role at the end of this year.
Updated Sep 14, 2021, 10:31 a.m. Published Nov 16, 2020, 1:34 p.m.
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Jay Clayton will leave his role at the end of this year.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Announced in a press release Monday, Clayton led the U.S. regulator for 3.5 years and through what the SEC called a "period of historic productivity and unprecedented challenges.
"Thanks to the hard work of the diverse and inclusive SEC team, we have improved investor protections, promoted capital formation for small and larger businesses, and enabled our markets to function more transparently and efficiently,” Clayton said in the announcement.
Under his leadership, the regulator has consistently rejected proposals for a bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) on grounds of concerns about fraud and market manipulation. However, recently Clayton softened his stance by expressing openness to the idea of a tokenized ETF.
Regarding his role in the digital assets space, he told a Senate committee in 2019 that the SEC has taken "a measured, yet proactive regulatory approach that both fosters innovation and capital formation while protecting our investors and our markets."
The SEC has taken numerous actions against crypto initial coin offering (ICO) projects under his watch, though he has said token issuances can be an effective way to raise funds as long as the rules are followed.
Clayton's decision to step down comes ahead of an impending change of presidential administration in the White House.
Also read: Mapping the Future of the SEC (There’s a Nonzero Chance Hester Peirce Takes Over)
While President-elect Joe Biden hasn't yet suggested a name for the SEC chairman role, his transition team members include Gary Gensler, former chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, suggesting the possibility of a stricter regulatory oversight under Biden's leadership.
At one point during the summer there was talk Clayton would become the next U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York after he was nominated by President Donald Trump for the role. Ultimately, that did not happen.
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
Canadian Province Wins Forfeiture of $1M QuadrigaCX Co-Founder's Cash & Gold via Default Judgment
The ruling transfers cash, gold bars, watches, and jewelry seized from a CIBC safety deposit box and bank account into government hands after Patryn did not defend the case.
What to know:
- The Supreme Court of British Columbia has forfeited $1 million in cash and gold tied to QuadrigaCX's co-founder, Michael Patryn, to the government.
- Patryn did not contest the forfeiture, which involved 45 gold bars, luxury watches, and over $250,000 in cash seized under an Unexplained Wealth Order.
- The forfeiture may lead to a process determining if any assets can be directed to QuadrigaCX's creditors, who received 13 cents on the dollar in the bankruptcy settlement.
Top Stories
