Pro-Crypto Paul Atkins Confirmed As New SEC Chair

The US Senate has confirmed that US President Donald Trump’s pick, pro-crypto Paul Atkins, will serve as chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in a 52-44 vote.

”A veteran of our Commission, we look forward to him joining with us, along with our dedicated staff, to fulfill our mission on behalf of the investing public,” the SEC wrote in an April 9 statement following the former Wall Street consultant’s confirmation on April 9.

Paul Atkins To Lead The SEC In Crypto-Friendly Era

Atkins served as a commissioner at the SEC between 2002 and 2008, during the global financial crisis. He then went on to found consulting firm Patomak Global Partners, whose clients included banks, crypto exchanges and decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms. 

Pro-crypto President Trump nominated Atkins for SEC chair late last year. His confirmation is expected to usher the SEC into a new crypto-friendly era following the anti-crypto regime led by former chair Gary Gensler.

I’m pleased Paul Atkins is confirmed as Chairman of the SEC. I sat down w/ Mr. Atkins to discuss digital asset legislation, empowering Wyoming’s blockchain future & implementing reforms to the regulatory rulemaking process. I’m confident his leadership will bring positive change. pic.twitter.com/1cpGrNjSrg

— Senator Cynthia Lummis (@SenLummis) April 9, 2025

Atkins already said during a prepared testimony at a Senate Banking Committee hearing last month that he would make creating a regulatory framework for digital assets a “top priority.” 

Senate Banking Committee Chair Republican Tim Scott is also confident that Atkins will steer the SEC down a new path. During a hearing last week, Scott said under Atkins’ leadership “the SEC will return to its core mission and will ensure our markets remain the envy of the world.”

Democrats Raise Red Flags Over Atkins’ Ties To FTX

Not everyone is satisfied with Trump’s decision to tap Atkins for SEC chair. Several Democrats, including Senator Elizabeth Warren, have criticized the pick because of Atkins’ ties to the now-defunct FTX exchange. 

FTX was reportedly a client of Patomak Global Partners, and was signed on as an adviser in early 2022, just months before FTX filed for bankruptcy in late 2022 and CEO Sam Bankman-Fried was found guilty of seven criminal counts in 2023.

“He has spent his post-government career helping billionaire scammers like CEO Sam Bankman-Fried get even richer,” Senator Warren said in a hearing last week.

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