Taylor Lindman, a former top lawyer for Chainlink Labs, joined the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Monday, 23 February 2026, as Chief Counsel for its Crypto Task Force. What does the hire say about Washington DC’s stance on crypto? This hire is bigger than just a job listing for sure. It may signal the end of the SEC guessing how crypto works.
The SEC launched a dedicated cryptocurrency task force on 21 January 2025. The Crypto Task Force is essentially the SEC’s special operations unit for the industry. It investigates violations and helps determine which tokens are securities and which are not. Hiring a veteran from a major decentralized infrastructure project like Chainlink suggests the agency is looking to bring deep technical expertise in-house.
SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce leads the Crypto Task Force. She is known widely as ‘Crypto Mom’ for her pro-innovation stance.
Peirce confirmed Lindman’s appointment publicly, welcoming him to the team.
Welcome to our new Crypto Task Force Chief Counsel, Taylor Lindman, who joined the SEC today. I predict great things!
— Hester Peirce (@HesterPeirce) February 23, 2026
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Taylor Lindman Isn’t From A Bank, He Is From DeFi
The Chief Counsel of the Crypto Task Force acts like the head referee’s advisor. Lindman will interpret the rulebook for the investigators looking into crypto projects.
For years, the industry has complained that SEC lawyers simply did not understand the technology they were policing.
Lindman comes directly from Chainlink Labs, where he served as deputy general counsel. So, Lindman isn’t coming from a bank; he is coming from the technical trenches of decentralized finance (DeFi).
JUST IN: Taylor Lindman has been officially appointed as Chief Counsel of the @SECGov's Crypto Task Force.
We thank Taylor for his great 5 years as a key part of the Chainlink Labs team in his role as Deputy General Counsel. We all look forward to modernizing the U.S. financial… pic.twitter.com/puvZPeVcba
— Chainlink (@chainlink) February 23, 2026
Lindman takes over the role previously held by Michael Selig, who recently moved to lead the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). This changing of the guard highlights the ongoing turf battles between crypto regulators, as agency personnel shuffle between the SEC and CFTC while trying to define who controls which parts of the market.
Lindman’s arrival suggests a pivot toward “Project Crypto,” a reported joint effort to modernize rules explicitly for digital assets. Instead of trying to force 1940s laws onto 2026 blockchains, a Chief Counsel with DeFi experience is more likely to push for nuance. For example, understanding that a governance token isn’t exactly like a stock certificate.
Experts view this as a maturation of the regulator. If the SEC understands how oracle networks and decentralized data function, they are less likely to attack the infrastructure itself and more likely to focus on actual fraud.
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One of the biggest areas where comprehension is required, is ETFs. There have been hurdles for approval of new crypto ETFs, beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum. And the SEC has been concerned over market manipulation and custody.
Having a Chainlink veteran inside the SEC is crucial here. Chainlink’s data feeds are the industry standard for price accuracy. If the Chief Counsel can effectively explain to the Commission how on-chain data prevents manipulation, it removes a major roadblock for future ETF approvals.
While the Treasury Secretary pushes for the CLARITY Act to settle the laws once and for all, Lindman’s role will be to ensure the SEC’s daily enforcement doesn’t break the industry in the meantime.
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Key Takeaways
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Former Chainlink executive Taylor Lindman is now the top lawyer for the SEC’s Crypto Task Force.
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The hire signals a shift away from blind enforcement toward regulations built on technical understanding of DeFi and oracles.
The post ‘Crypto Mom’ Welcomes Chainlink Executive As SEC Crypto Task Force Chief Counsel: Taylor Lindman Replaces Michael Selig appeared first on 99Bitcoins.
