SEC Is Adding Attorneys to Crypto Enforcement Unit

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is hiring general attorneys for its crypto enforcement division in New York, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco, according to a job posting.

The call for attorneys to join the regulator's Crypto Asset and Cyber Unit, or CACU, comes after the agency said in March that it was "planning to add additional staff" to the unit, which was initially meant to be a 20-person operation but has since doubled in size.

Under Chairman Gary Gensler, the SEC has been cracking down on the crypto industry with renewed vigor since the 2022 market turmoil saw the collapse of big firms in the sector, crypto exchange FTX among them.

The attorneys joining the CACU are expected to conduct investigations involving "crypto asset securities," develop litigation plans, draft legal documents including subpoenas and conduct depositions.

The CACU "exercises the full range of the Division's investigative and law enforcement powers, and focuses on violations of the federal securities laws," the job posting said.

Compensation for the positions range between $140,000 and $260,000 depending on the location. Applications for the positions close on April 17, according to the posting.

Edited by Stephen Alpher.

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Sandali Handagama

Sandali Handagama is CoinDesk's deputy managing editor for policy and regulations, EMEA. She does not own any crypto.

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