Coinbase Hires SEC Counsel in Regulatory Role

Thaya Knight joins crypto exchange after working for Commissioner Elad Roisman

article-image

Blockworks exclusive art by axel rangel

share

key takeaways

  • Roisman announced last month he intended to resign from the SEC
  • Knight also spent two years as counsel for SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce, who has advocated for a crypto regulatory framework

The former counsel for Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Commissioner Elad Roisman has left the agency to join Coinbase.

Thaya Knight’s last day at the SEC was Friday, she wrote on LinkedIn. Her role at Coinbase as a senior public policy manager entails watching the regulatory landscape, which companies expect to evolve in 2022.

“What we want to do as Coinbase is make sure that we’re raising our hand when we feel the rules of the road are not clear,” Coinbase President Emilie Choi said at the Bloomberg Financial Innovation Summit last month.

Knight worked for about a year as the counsel for Roisman, who was appointed to the SEC by then-President Donald Trump in 2018. Roisman said in a statement last month that he intended to resign by the end of January.  

Before working for Roisman, Knight spent about a year as senior counsel for policy and regulation for the Federal Housing Finance Agency. 

She was also previously counsel to SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce, who has been critical of the agency’s failure to approve a spot bitcoin ETF.   

Knight declined to comment on her move. A spokesperson for Coinbase did not immediately return a request for comment.


Get the news in your inbox. Explore Blockworks newsletters:

Tags

Upcoming Events

Old Billingsgate

Mon - Wed, October 13 - 15, 2025

Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit (DAS) will feature conversations between the builders, allocators, and legislators who will shape the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in the US and abroad.

recent research

Research

article-image

For just $54, you, too, could send a memecoin 500% higher

article-image

Memecoins, tech, and inflation have dominated the first half of the year

article-image

As the Trump administration continues to test Fed independence, markets are beginning to react

article-image

An Aave interest rate shock prompted over 475,000 validators to exit and pushed stETH into a prolonged depeg

article-image

While Roman Storm’s team is set to present its case, it’s not yet clear if the Tornado Cash founder will testify

article-image

A wireless network inspired by lost drones is now helping telco carriers reach your phone indoors