Adrienne Harris, the Superintendent of the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS), has revealed that she will be leaving her position next month. In a statement released on Monday, Harris confirmed her departure date as October 17, 2025. Her tenure at the helm of the financial regulatory body has lasted nearly four years, during which she played a pivotal role in shaping the regulatory landscape for cryptocurrency in New York.
Governor Kathy Hochul praised Harris’s contributions, emphasizing her dedication to ensuring the efficiency of New York’s financial system. In her statement, Hochul remarked, “Adrienne worked every day to make our financial system work for New Yorkers, while also rebuilding the Department into a regulator fit for the financial capital of the world.”
Harris’s regulatory experience includes a notable history in government service as a special assistant under former President Barack Obama. She assumed her initial role as acting superintendent of NYDFS in August 2021, soon after being nominated by Hochul, and was confirmed by the New York State Senate in January 2022.
Reflecting on her time in office during an appearance at the Digital Asset Compliance & Market Integrity Summit hosted by Solidus Labs, Harris remarked that her tenure felt simultaneously fleeting and extensive. “It feels like yesterday and a lifetime ago, all at the same time,” she observed.
During her leadership, NYDFS made significant strides in its regulatory approach to the cryptocurrency industry, introducing 11 pieces of guidance and regulatory measures related to the framework established by the BitLicense, which marked its tenth anniversary in 2025. Harris noted the rapid evolution of the crypto landscape during her time, highlighting the importance of adapting regulatory provisions to keep pace with industry developments from 2015 to 2021.
Among the guidance issued under her oversight were protocols addressing various aspects of cryptocurrency regulation, including stablecoins, blockchain analytics, and procedures for coin listings. She expressed pride in the collaborative efforts with legislators, stating, “It’s a real testament to what we’ve done out of DFS that folks in both chambers of Congress, folks on both sides of the aisle, come to us for our technical expertise, for advice, for edits.” This collaborative work, she noted, has influenced current market structure legislation.
In addition to its regulatory frameworks, NYDFS has been proactive in enforcement actions and investigations, including inquiries into the Binance dollar stablecoin (BUSD) issued by Paxos, stemming from ongoing investigations that began in 2023. These actions underscore the agency’s commitment to maintaining market integrity and protecting consumers in an evolving financial landscape.
Following Harris’s departure, Kaitlin Asrow, who currently serves as the Executive Deputy Superintendent for Research and Innovation, has been appointed as the acting head of the agency. Asrow is expected to continue the important work on cryptocurrency regulation and uphold the NYDFS’s mission in the ever-changing financial ecosystem.
As Harris prepares to transition from her role, the future of NYDFS appears poised for continued evolution in meeting both regulatory needs and fostering innovation within New York’s financial sector.
