Gary Gensler Returns to MIT to Teach Finance and AI, Leaving a Bitter Taste in the Crypto Industry

Thrown out of the SEC, Gary Gensler did not take long to find a soft landing. Far from disappearing from the financial landscape, he resumes his position

Freshly ousted from the SEC, Gary Gensler didn’t have to wait long to find a soft landing. Far from disappearing from the financial landscape, he is resuming his position as a professor at MIT, where he will teach and co-direct a program combining finance and artificial intelligence. A logical career shift? Not so sure. Before waging war on cryptos as a regulator, Gensler explained to his students that most digital assets were not financial securities. A great contradiction that does not go unnoticed in the crypto ecosystem.

Gensler and crypto: a confusing double talk

From 2018 to 2021, Gary Gensler taught a course titled “Blockchain and Money” at MIT. He stated that “three quarters of the crypto market is not subject to securities law”. Algorand? “Excellent technology,” he said back then.

However, once in charge of the SEC, he radically changed his tone. Under his leadership, Algorand was classified as a non-compliant financial security, and exchange platforms like Binance and Coinbase were vigorously prosecuted.

The return of Gensler to the university leaves a bitter taste in the crypto industry. Can one be both a pro-crypto professor and a ruthless regulator? The inconsistency is glaring and causes gritting of teeth.

Crypto supporters, who hoped for a softening after his departure from the SEC, watch his return with skepticism. Because while he joins MIT, crypto regulation in the United States remains shrouded in fog.

Crypto regulation: a debate that does not weaken

Gary Gensler’s tenure at the SEC has left a lasting impact on the crypto ecosystem. His term resulted in an avalanche of lawsuits and regulatory uncertainty that hinders the adoption of digital assets.

Market players hoped that his departure would mark a turning point, but the future remains uncertain. Should we expect a more lenient approach under a new administration? Nothing is less certain.

In the meantime, Gensler returns to teaching. His future students will undoubtedly have a burning question in mind: what does he really think about cryptos?

Before leaving the SEC, Gensler threw one last jab: the crypto did not help Trump win. A stone in the pond that likely did not please staunch bitcoin defenders. It remains to be seen whether he will change his tune again now that he has returned to his professor’s role.

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La révolution blockchain et crypto est en marche ! Et le jour où les impacts se feront ressentir sur l’économie la plus vulnérable de ce Monde, contre toute espérance, je dirai que j’y étais pour quelque chose