President Donald Trump has appointed Todd Blanche as the interim head of the U.S. Department of Justice, following the dismissal of Attorney General Pam Bondi. This announcement was made on Thursday, April 3, 2026.
Blanche, who previously served as Trump’s personal attorney, represented him during a criminal case in New York before Trump’s reelection in 2024. After retaking office, Trump designated him as deputy attorney general.
In his role as deputy, Blanche took significant actions, including disbanding the DOJ’s National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team, which was established in 2022 during Joe Biden’s presidency. He also issued a memo directing prosecutors to refrain from pursuing regulatory violations within the cryptocurrency sector.
This memo played a crucial role in the Southern District of New York’s decision to drop charges against Tornado Cash developer Roman Storm, although Storm was later convicted on a different charge and is set for retrial on two additional charges later this year.
Blanche’s latest government ethics disclosure, dated July 10, 2025, revealed that he transferred his cryptocurrency holdings to his children and grandchild. These assets included Bitcoin, Solana, Cardano, and Ethereum, among others. His disclosure indicated that he had previously held additional cryptocurrencies and stock in Coinbase.
ProPublica reported that Blanche’s crypto assets, valued between $159,000 and $485,000 at the time he signed the enforcement memo, raised concerns regarding potential violations of ethics rules and his commitment to divest before engaging in cryptocurrency-related matters.
Todd Blanche has been appointed as the interim head of the U.S. Department of Justice by President Trump, following the removal of Pam Bondi. Blanche's previous role as deputy attorney general included significant actions affecting cryptocurrency enforcement, raising ethical questions regarding his financial disclosures.