2025-04-23
At his swearing-in on Tuesday, Atkins said his top goal is to create a strong and understandable set of rules for digital assets. He promised a "rational, coherent, and principled" strategy. A clear shift from how former Chair Gary Gensler handled crypto regulation.
Atkins said it's a “new day” for the SEC and stressed that the agency needs to refocus on its main mission: protecting investors, keeping markets fair and efficient, and helping businesses raise money.
This isn’t the first time Atkins has pushed for better crypto rules. He said the same during a Senate hearing last month.
Atkins is known as a crypto-friendly figure. He was an SEC commissioner from 2002 to 2008 and later started a financial consulting firm. He also advised former President Trump during his first term.
With Atkins now leading the SEC, the agency is expected to take a
more supportive stance on crypto. That’s already starting to show — since the
leadership change, the SEC created a Crypto Task Force to hold discussions and
help clarify rules for the crypto industry.
