U.S. President Donald Trump has appointed Todd Blanche as interim attorney general after removing Pam Bondi, placing his former personal attorney at the head of the Department of Justice.
Blanche, previously serving as deputy attorney general, had already reshaped the DOJ’s approach to crypto by disbanding its National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team and directing prosecutors to avoid regulatory violation cases.
The policy shift influenced ongoing cases, including the Southern District of New York’s prosecution of Tornado Cash developer Roman Storm, where one charge was dropped following the memo.
Blanche’s appointment has drawn scrutiny due to disclosures showing he held between $159,000 and $485,000 in crypto assets while issuing enforcement guidance.
Those holdings included Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana and other tokens, despite a pledge to divest before engaging in crypto-related policy decisions.
The reported overlap between his investments and policy actions raises potential ethics concerns under federal rules governing conflicts of interest.
The leadership change signals a softer regulatory stance toward the crypto industry, with implications for enforcement priorities and ongoing cases.
At the time of reporting, Bitcoin price was $66,766.21.