SEC Appoints Pro-Crypto Veteran James Moloney to Lead Corporate Finance Division

Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Paul Atkins has named James Moloney, a Gibson Dunn partner and former SEC mergers specialist, as head of the Division of Corporation Finance. The appointment places a crypto-sympathetic regulator in charge of IPO reviews and disclosure oversight as the agency grapples with digital asset classification.

Moloney's division now plays an expanded role in crypto policy, having recently issued guidance distinguishing memecoins from securities. His arrival coincides with Congressional consideration of the Clarity Act, which could reassign primary crypto oversight to the CFTC while maintaining SEC disclosure requirements.

The new director pledged to implement "smart, practical regulations" that balance investor protection with reduced compliance burdens. His tenure begins amid an intensifying turf war between financial regulators over cryptocurrency jurisdiction.