Clayton's Intelligence Gig Raises Questions About His Crypto Legacy
Jay Clayton, the former U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) chairman who led the agency's lawsuit against Ripple, has been sworn in as the new Director of National Intelligence.
The Senate confirmed Clayton's appointment in a narrow 51-47 vote, making him the nation's top intelligence official.
Clayton's legacy with the SEC is complicated. On his last day as head of the agency, December 22, 2020, the regulator filed a high-profile lawsuit against Ripple Labs and its executives, Brad Garlinghouse and Chris Larsen.
However, after leaving the SEC, Clayton took on an advisory role with One River Asset Management's digital asset division and joined Fireblocks' advisory board. He described Fireblocks as 'a leader in the evolving digital asset space', emphasizing the need for stronger regulatory certainty while maintaining institutional-grade security.