On April 21, 2025, Paul Atkins officially took office as the chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). During a press conference following his appointment, he outlined the main priorities of his work, particularly the establishment of a regulatory framework for crypto assets.
This is reported by Finway
Atkins emphasized that his goal is to change the SEC’s approach to regulating financial markets, returning to the agency’s core mission of protecting investors and ensuring fair and efficient markets. In this context, he stated:
“I can confidently say that this is truly a new day in the history of the Commission. It is time for the SEC to put an end to its arbitrariness and return to the core mission assigned to this agency — protecting investors, orderly, fair, and efficient markets, as well as capital formation. I will work on protecting investors and creating transparent rules that encourage investment.”
Among Atkins’ main tasks is to implement a rational, consistent, and principled approach to regulating crypto assets. He stressed the importance of ensuring the U.S. status as the best and safest place for investment and business, noting:
“We will work to ensure the U.S. status as the best and safest place for investment and business.”
The new SEC chair also responded to journalists’ questions regarding the division of powers between the SEC and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) in the context of overseeing the crypto space, assuring that he sees no reason for conflict between these agencies:
“I see no reasons why we couldn’t work together.”
It is worth noting that discussions between the SEC and CFTC about joint regulation of the crypto market intensified following the resignation of the previous leaders of both agencies.