Todd Blanche Named Interim U.S. Attorney General Amid Crypto Enforcement Controversy

President Donald Trump removed Attorney General Pam Bondi and appointed Todd Blanche as the interim Attorney General, placing the former deputy and Trump’s personal attorney in charge of the Department of Justice. Blanche previously represented Trump in his 2024 criminal case in New York and was named deputy attorney general after Trump retook office.

Crypto Enforcement Memo and Controversy

As deputy attorney general, Blanche dismantled the DOJ’s National Crypto Enforcement Team and issued a memo directing prosecutors not to pursue regulatory violation cases in the crypto sector. The memo influenced cases such as the Southern District of New York’s proceedings against Tornado Cash developer Roman Storm, resulting in the dismissal of certain charges.

Blanche’s government ethics disclosure from July 2025 revealed he held between $159,000 and $485,000 in cryptocurrencies at the time, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, ADA, Polygon, DOT, and Quant, alongside Coinbase stock. This appeared to violate ethics rules and his prior pledge to divest before working on crypto-related matters.

The appointment raises questions over crypto regulation and enforcement policy under the DOJ, particularly regarding the treatment of ongoing and future cases in the rapidly evolving digital asset space.

Disclaimer

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