[Deputy Director of SEC's Division of Corporation Finance, Cicely LaMothe, Announces Retirement] Odaily Planet Daily News – Cicely LaMothe, Deputy Director of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Division of Corporation Finance, has announced her retirement. Over the past year, she has played a significant role in crypto regulation, including issuing clarification statements that Meme coins are not considered securities and explaining the SEC's stance on staking services. LaMothe joined the SEC in 2002 and contributed to drafting key policies for registration filings. Her departure coincides with the SEC entering its second year of adopting a more favorable approach toward the crypto industry. During this period, the SEC has approved listing standards for certain crypto asset-related ETFs, dismissed multiple enforcement cases against prominent crypto companies, and advanced "Project Crypto" to update the regulatory framework for digital assets. Additionally, the SEC confirmed that Nekia Hackworth Jones, Deputy Director of the Enforcement Division's Southeast Region, completed her term at the end of December.