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.
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
Protocol Research: GoPlus Security

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
Bitcoin Rebounds to $93K From Post-Fed Lows, but Altcoins Remain Under Pressure

Downward pressure on bitcoin is losing steam, with the market stabilizing but not yet out of the woods, said one analyst.
What to know:
- Bitcoin rebounded from a sharp early selloff on Thursday to trade above $93,000 shortly after the close of U.S. stocks.
- The late-day gain in bitcoin came alongside a rebound in the Nasdaq from big morning losses; the tech index closed with just a 0.25% loss.
- Downward pressure on bitcoin is losing steam, said one analyst, but the market is not yet out of the woods.
Top Stories











