Paul Atkins Becomes 34th SEC Chair, Pledges Transparent Crypto Regulation

Two days of Senate hearings concluded with Paul Atkins taking the oath of office as the 34th Chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. A longtime advocate for digital assets, Atkins was nominated by President Donald Trump on January 20 and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on April 9. 

He is now expected to restart dialogue with the crypto market and help build a more transparent regulatory environment for digital assets.

Following the resignation of former Chair Gary Gensler in January, the SEC reversed controversial crypto accounting guidelines and paused several enforcement actions against major industry players. During this transition period, Acting Chair Mark Uyeda and Commissioner Hester Peirce, known as “Crypto Mom,” created a Crypto Task Force. These efforts are now likely to accelerate under Atkins’s leadership.

New Priorities in Crypto Asset Regulation

During his confirmation hearing before the Senate Banking Committee, Paul Atkins pledged to make the development of a clear regulatory framework for digital assets a top priority of his leadership at the SEC. Additionally, he emphasized that moving away from the previous administration’s strategy of enforcement-led regulation would offer the industry more predictability and balance.

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 to facilitate capital formation; maintain fair, orderly, and efficient markets; and protect investors,

said Paul Atkins, Chair of the SEC.

Furthermore, the shift from aggressive enforcement to structured dialogue may help reduce legal uncertainty for crypto exchanges and DeFi platforms. Commissioner Hester Peirce noted that the Crypto Task Force offers a foundation for expert consultations and broader engagement with the market.

Related: Who are you, Mr. Paul Atkins?

Experience and Potential Challenges

Paul Atkins previously served as a Commissioner at the SEC from 2002 to 2008 during the administration of President George W. Bush. In 2009, he founded Patomak Global Partners, a consulting firm that has advised banks, crypto exchanges, and DeFi platforms.

His confirmation as SEC Chair was delayed due to financial disclosure procedures related to his investments in Anchorage Digital and Securitize, which were reported to total up to $6 million. In addition, public filings show that Atkins holds assets valued at approximately $327 million, including capital from his wife, who comes from a billionaire family.

According to Bloomberg, the SEC under Paul Atkins is preparing to review over 70 applications for cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Analysts expect the filings to include products tied to XRP, Litecoin, Solana, Dogecoin, and even Penguins and 2x Melania.

“Gonna be a wild year,” wrote Eric Balchunas, senior ETF analyst at Bloomberg.

The first rulings on crypto ETF filings could signal the direction of the regulator’s future policy. The products that receive early approval will play a key role in shaping institutional confidence in the digital asset market and directly impact overall liquidity conditions.