Gary Gensler, the former crypto cop at the SEC, is heading back to school — but not as a student. Instead, he’s reclaiming his professor hat at MIT Sloan School of Management, where he’ll focus on AI, fintech, and public policy. The move marks a return to academia after a rocky tenure at the SEC, where he led aggressive crackdowns on crypto firms while overseeing the $120 trillion U.S. capital markets.

According to MIT’s announcement, Gensler will teach and conduct research on artificial intelligence, finance, and fintech while playing a key role in the FinTech AI initiative alongside Professor Andrew W. Lo. The program aims to explore AI’s potential in financial markets—just as the AI race between the U.S. and China heats up.

From Regulator to Researcher

Before he was the SEC’s top enforcer, Gensler was already deeply entrenched in the world of digital assets. He taught blockchain and finance at MIT in 2018, publishing research on AI’s systemic risks in financial markets. But his time at the SEC left him with a reputation as crypto’s ultimate villain, thanks to over 125 enforcement actions against major players like Binance and Coinbase.

Despite his hardline stance, Gensler’s tenure wasn’t all bad for crypto. Under his watch, crypto ETFs finally made it to the market, a watershed moment for institutional adoption. But don’t expect him to turn into a Web3 evangelist just yet.

Will Gensler Be Pro-Crypto Now?

That’s the big question. Now that he’s in academia, some speculate that Gensler could soften his stance on digital assets. After all, he’s teaching fintech and AI—two sectors where crypto plays an increasingly important role. But skeptics aren’t convinced.

“As an MIT Sloan graduate, I'm incredibly embarrassed and disappointed to see them rehire Gensler,” tweeted Devin Walsh, Uniswap Foundation’s Executive Director. “A waste of time, tuition funds, and energy for any student hoping to study and support new and innovative technologies.”

Meanwhile, Nobel laureate Simon Johnson, who will co-teach with Gensler, emphasized that their research will focus on global economic policy—a space where AI and blockchain governance remain hot-button issues.

AI, Crypto, and the Future of Fintech

Gensler’s shift from regulator to researcher signals a broader trend: AI is now the priority. As the U.S. scrambles to stay ahead of China in AI dominance, having a former SEC Chair researching AI risks could shape future regulations just as much as his time in Washington did.

So, will Gensler embrace crypto in his new role, or will he keep up the same “regulate by enforcement” energy? One thing’s for sure—he won’t be staying out of the fintech conversation anytime soon.

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