Paul Atkins Assumes Leadership at the SEC, Indicating a New Chapter for Cryptocurrency Regulation – CoinCentral
TLDR
Paul Atkins has officially been sworn in as the 34th SEC chairman. Nominated by President Trump and confirmed by the Senate in early April, he is a long-time supporter of crypto. He previously served as an SEC commissioner from 2002 to 2008. Atkins has made creating a regulatory framework for digital assets a top priority. The SEC has become more crypto-friendly, dropping enforcement actions and establishing a Crypto Task Force.
Paul Atkins has been officially sworn in as the 34th chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on April 21, 2025. Nominated by President Donald Trump on January 20 and confirmed by the Senate in a 52-44 vote on April 9, Atkins returns to the commission where he previously served from 2002 to 2008.
“I am honored by the trust and confidence President Trump and the Senate have placed in me to lead the SEC,” Atkins said in a statement. “As I return to the SEC, I am pleased to join with my fellow Commissioners and the agency’s dedicated professionals to advance its mission.”
Atkins emphasized his commitment to facilitating capital formation, maintaining fair markets, and protecting investors. He also stated that under his leadership, the SEC will work to ensure the U.S. is “the best and most secure place in the world to invest and do business.”
Crypto-Friendly Direction
The new chairman is expected to adopt a more crypto-friendly regulatory approach than his predecessor, Gary Gensler. In his Senate Banking Committee hearing, Atkins highlighted the importance of creating a clear regulatory framework for digital assets.
This signals a shift from the “regulation by enforcement” strategy under Gensler’s leadership. The SEC has begun changing its stance on crypto since Gensler’s departure in January.
Recent actions include withdrawing controversial crypto accounting guidance and ceasing enforcement actions against major industry players like Coinbase, Consensys, Gemini, and Uniswap. These decisions suggest a more collaborative regulatory approach is emerging.
The SEC also established a Crypto Task Force in January, led by Commissioner Hester Peirce. This task force welcomes experts to participate in discussions on various crypto regulatory issues.
One key area of focus for the task force is determining which cryptocurrencies are not financial securities, a major point of contention in the industry.
Financial Disclosures and Industry Ties
Atkins’ confirmation was delayed due to financial disclosure requirements related to his marriage into a billionaire family.
These disclosures included up to $6 million in crypto-related investments, including holdings in Anchorage Digital and Securitize.
After leaving the SEC, Atkins founded consulting firm Patomak Global Partners in 2009, serving clients in the banking, crypto exchange, and DeFi industries, providing him with extensive industry experience.
Atkins has succeeded acting chair Mark Uyeda and inherited over 70 crypto-related exchange-traded fund (ETF) applications to review. ETF analyst James Balchunas predicts a varied range of applications for approval this year.
Another Bloomberg analyst, James Seyffart, described the sudden surge in ETF filings as a “spaghetti cannon approach,” with issuers testing different products to determine what the new SEC leadership may approve.
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