Key Takeaways
- Paul Atkins, known for his pro-digital assets stance, is a leading candidate for SEC chair.
- Outgoing SEC Chair Gary Gensler’s tenure was marked by aggressive enforcement against crypto firms.
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President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team has interviewed Paul Atkins as a candidate to lead the SEC, according to a Bloomberg report.
Atkins, who served under President George W. Bush, is among several contenders for the role, with Trump expected to announce his decision in the coming days.
Other candidates under consideration include current SEC Commissioner Mark Uyeda, securities lawyer Teresa Goody Guillén, and Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP partner Robert Stebbins.
“President-Elect Trump has made brilliant decisions on who will serve in his second Administration at lightning pace. Remaining decisions will continue to be announced by him when they are made,” Trump spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.
Atkins, a strong advocate for digital assets, has testified before Congress on restructuring the SEC and reducing burdensome regulations.
The leadership change comes as Gensler announced his January departure, following a tenure marked by aggressive enforcement actions against crypto firms, particularly after the collapse of FTX exchange.
Trump, who once called crypto a scam, promised to create a strategic Bitcoin stockpile and appoint crypto-friendly regulators.
He has already acted by naming Howard Lutnick, a pro-Bitcoin advocate, as Commerce Secretary and reportedly considering Chris Giancarlo, known as “Crypto Dad,” for the role of “crypto czar”.
The new SEC leadership is expected to maintain focus on core priorities including fraud prevention, insider trading enforcement, Ponzi scheme elimination, and oversight of corporate disclosures.
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