Upcoming SEC Chair Paul Atkins Says Crypto Regulation a Top Priority

Paul Atkins says crypto regulation with clear guidelines is a priority for the SEC as Atkin’s is set to become chairman in a few months after a committee vote.

Nominated by President Trump in 2024, Paul Atkins will revitalize the SEC with new regulations for crypto and digital assets after Gary Gensler’s outing.

In a recent confirmation hearing, Atkins expressed the importance of good regulations to help grow US-based industries and help investors make the right decisions. 

Paul Atkins nominated for SEC chair by Trump talks digital assets

Under acting chairperson Mark Uyeda, the SEC has turned a new leaf with an onslaught of cryptocurrency investigations being closed and Ripple’s appeal being dropped.

The Crypto Task Force led by Hester Pierce under the SEC aims to spur new innovations in web3 and emerging industries to bring companies back to the US after they threatened to leave during Gensler’s reign.

 Paul Atkins attended a confirmation hearing on March 27, 2025, appearing before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. 

During the confirmation, Atkins spoke on his duty to bring clarity to regulations and that fair crypto regulation would be a top priority.

Paul Atkins:

A top priority of my chairmanship will be to work with my fellow commissioners and Congress to provide a firm regulatory foundation for digital assets.

For Atkins, regulations must be made, but implementing them correctly is important and now only affects companies and industries but also investors.

From Atkins:

Regulations including those of the SEC affect markets and investors. They can stoke innovation, facilitate investment goals & create opporuntities or burdens on businesses’ abilities to compete and serve their customers.

Atkins said regulations must be smart and effective and clear rules of the road benefit all market participants. 

New SEC set for crypto growth

Crypto market participants have been awaiting Paul Atkin’s chairmanship, expecting good changes to come from his leadership of the SEC. 

Under Mark Uyeda, many changes have already taken place with dozens of crypto companies having their investigations dismissed to Ripple and the SEC coming to an agreement to end their feud. 

Despite positive actions, Senator Elizabeth Warren is not pleased with Atkin’s chairmanship, highlighting that he owns $6 million in crypto-related assets.

The assets were disclosed prior to Atkin’s hearing. $1 million of the funds are split between Anchorage Digital and BlackRock’s tokenization firm Securitize, where Atkins previously held board membership.