Paul Atkins, the new chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), made his first public appearance at a crypto roundtable. During his inaugural speech, Atkins emphasized his commitment to reshaping securities policy to support digital asset innovation.
The SEC and the crypto industry have been awaiting congressional action to establish oversight for crypto market structures. Atkins assured an audience at the SEC’s Washington headquarters that the regulator aims to provide “a rational, fit-for-purpose framework” for crypto.
When questioned after his speech, Atkins indicated that the SEC might take some actions even before new laws are enacted. “It’s always good to have Congress’ input, and if there’s a statute to back up what we’re doing, I think that’s all the better,” Atkins stated. “But we have ample room to maneuver under existing rules and laws.”
Atkins also suggested reevaluating the concept of special-purpose crypto broker dealers and considering changes to custody rules to accommodate crypto assets and blockchain technology.
Atkins previously attended a swearing-in ceremony at the White House, where President Trump praised him as the right person to lead the agency during a time when the digital assets sector requires regulatory clarity. This event marked Atkins’ first substantial public engagement.
The crypto sector has high hopes for Atkins, following Commissioner Mark Uyeda’s recent actions to reverse earlier crypto reluctance under former Chair Gary Gensler. As interim chairman, Uyeda reversed or sidelined several crypto policy efforts and abandoned most of the regulator’s prominent enforcement actions targeting the industry.
Until now, expectations for Atkins’ leadership were speculative, based on his experience advising and investing in digital assets firms. Atkins has ties to crypto entities such as the Digital Chamber and Securitize, and his connections to Off the Chain Capital link him to investments in major crypto companies like Digital Currency Group (DCG) and Kraken.
Friday’s roundtable was the third in a series the agency has held on crypto matters, focusing on custody in the industry. Under Gensler, the SEC sought to approve a policy demanding investment advisers place their clients’ digital assets only with certain qualified custodians, but this effort was paused.
When asked about President Trump’s crypto interests and the potential impact of $TRUMP memecoin on White House credibility, Atkins declined to comment.
— new from CoinDesk
