As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to finalize his cabinet picks, Paul Atkins is reported to be a leading candidate to head the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and a new pro-crypto agenda under Trump’s new administration.
According to Bloomberg sources familiar with the matter, Atkins has been interviewed by Trump’s transition team, positioning him as a strong contender to replace departing SEC Chairman Gary Gensler.
A Pro-Crypto Choice To Replace Gensler
Gensler, who announced his resignation effective January, has faced criticism for his aggressive regulatory approach, particularly in the realm of cryptocurrencies, following high-profile collapses like the FTX exchange.
Atkins previously served as a Republican SEC commissioner during the George W. Bush administration and later founded Patomak Global Partners, a consulting firm focused on financial industry clients.
His experience includes working with two former SEC Chairs, Richard C. Breeden and Arthur Levitt, which equips him with a comprehensive understanding of the agency’s operations.
Trump’s administration has promised a shift in regulatory strategy. The former president has committed to appointing crypto-friendly regulators and has vowed to create a strategic Bitcoin stockpile, an initiative that reportedly aligns with Atkins’ pro-crypto stance.
Trump’s spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, praised the speed of the decision-making process for cabinet appointments, indicating that more announcements are forthcoming.
SEC Under New Leadership
Atkins is not the only name in the running; current SEC Commissioner Mark Uyeda, former Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chairman Heath Tarbert, and Robert Stebbins from Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP are also considered potential candidates.
However, Fox journalist Eleanor Terret reports that Atkins holds a favored position among Trump’s inner circle, particularly at Mar-a-Lago, where discussions about the administration’s direction are taking place.
The anticipated changes at the SEC come at a critical time for the cryptocurrency industry, which has faced significant regulatory scrutiny under Gensler. His tenure was marked by an enforcement-heavy approach that many in the industry criticized as lacking clarity.
Terret suggests that Atkins’ potential leadership could signal a shift back to what Republicans refer to as the “gold standard” of SEC operations—an approach that balances regulatory oversight with support for industry innovation.
While the SEC will continue to prioritize traditional enforcement areas such as combating fraud and insider trading, Atkins is expected to advocate for policies that encourage growth in the digital asset sector. Terret further stated:
He’s pro-crypto but perhaps more importantly, he’s got policy chops in other areas of the $100 trillion securities markets the SEC has oversight of… Now that most of Trump’s cabinet picks have been announced, the transition team is turning its attention to filling federal agency positions, but unclear when exactly those announcements will come. Could be any day now.
Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com