Chainlink's former Chief Legal Officer moves to the SEC! New Chief Advisor of the Crypto Task Force announced, industry talent flooding into regulatory agencies

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Cryptocurrency Task Force Welcomes New Chief Legal Counsel — Former Chainlink Labs Deputy General Counsel Taylor Lindman. With nearly a decade of legal experience, this industry veteran spent over five years at Chainlink. Now transitioning to a regulatory agency, this highlights the accelerating talent flow between the crypto industry and government.
(Previous context: Crypto advocate Hester Peirce lists the SEC Crypto Task Force’s “Top 10 Priorities” — What’s next for regulation?)
(Additional background: Paul Atkins officially takes office as SEC Chair, with plans to approve ETFs for altcoins like XRP, SOL… and possibly open staking for Ethereum?)

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• Over five years at Chainlink, transitioning from industry to regulation
• “Crypto Mom” Hester Peirce publicly welcomes
• The task force continues to expand, attracting industry talent

The SEC Cryptocurrency Task Force announced that Taylor Lindman, former Deputy General Counsel at Chainlink Labs, has officially joined as Chief Counsel. This position was previously held by Michael Selig, who was appointed Chair of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) in December 2025.

Over five years at Chainlink, transitioning from industry to regulation

Lindman worked at Chainlink Labs for more than five years, serving as Deputy General Counsel and Assistant Legal Counsel, responsible for ensuring compliance with U.S. and international regulations. Before joining Chainlink, he worked at renowned law firms Debevoise & Plimpton (2016-2018) and Perkins Coie (2018-2021), accumulating nearly ten years of legal practice experience.

Notably, Lindman previously represented Chainlink in a March 2025 meeting with the SEC Crypto Task Force to discuss token taxonomy and securities recordkeeping requirements. Now, he joins the team directly, shifting from industry lobbying to regulatory policymaking.

“Crypto Mom” Hester Peirce publicly welcomes

SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce, who leads the Crypto Task Force, publicly confirmed the appointment and expressed optimism about Lindman’s addition. Chainlink Labs also issued a statement thanking Lindman for his contributions and looking forward to “driving the modernization of the U.S. financial system together.”

The task force continues to expand, attracting industry talent

As Chief Counsel, Lindman will oversee legal interpretation, compliance management, organizational risk control, and support leadership decision-making.

Since the Trump administration adopted a more crypto-friendly policy stance, the SEC Crypto Task Force has continued to grow, now comprising 14 members with industry expertise, including former Coin Center Policy Director Landon Zinda (serving as Senior Advisor) and former Baker Hostetler Digital Assets and Web3 lawyer Veronica Reynolds. The team has held multiple roundtable discussions and facility visits, widely gathering input from industry participants, academia, and market stakeholders on digital asset regulation.