Trump taps Paul Atkins to lead the SEC in crypto-friendly move

Trump tapped Paul Atkins to lead the SEC.

President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Paul Atkins as the chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Atkins was an SEC commissioner under former President George Bush and is a well-known figure in Washington’s conservative financial world. Atkins is also an outspoken supporter of the crypto industry and co-chairs the Chamber of Digital Commerce’s Token Alliance, an industry-led initiative to represent the sector.

If confirmed, Atkins will replace Gary Gensler, who has drawn the ire of much of the crypto community and plans to step down as chair on January 20.

“Paul is a proven leader for common sense regulations,” Trump said in a Truth Social post announcing the pick. He added that Atkins “recognizes that digital assets & other innovations are crucial to Making America Greater than Ever Before.”