US Senate confirms Paul Atkins, as SEC Chairman
The US Senate confirmed President Donald Trump’s nominee, Paul Atkins, as chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission in a 52-44 vote along party lines.
Atkins’s confirmation on April 9 follows Trump’s appointment of the pro-crypto former Wall Street consultant to lead the agency late last year. He also served as an SEC commissioner from 2002 to 2008.
”A veteran of our Commission, we look forward to him joining us, along with our dedicated staff, to fulfill our mission on behalf of the investing public,” the agency’s commissioners wrote in an April 9 statement.
Atkins founded the financial consulting firm Patomak Global Partners in 2009, specializing in regulatory compliance and risk management, and served as co-chair of the crypto advocacy group Token Alliance from 2017 until late 2024.
After he is sworn in, Atkins will take over from Mark Uyeda, who has been the SEC’s acting chair since January 20, following former chair Gary Gensler’s resignation.
Gensler’s tenure witnessed the SEC launching multiple lawsuits and investigations against crypto firms over alleged breaches of securities laws. Tim Scott, the chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, expressed confidence that Atkins would continue the SEC’s crypto-friendly stance from the Trump administration.
Additionally, Atkins will clarify regulations related to digital assets, fostering American innovation and ensuring our competitiveness in the global marketplace. Under Trump, the Gensler-led SEC halted several crypto-related investigations and enforcement actions and established a Crypto Task Force to advise the industry on regulations.
Atkins is expected to take a different approach, stating during a Senate confirmation hearing in March that “providing a firm regulatory foundation for digital assets through a rational, coherent, and principled approach” would be a top priority at the SEC.
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