DeutschCrypto is a top priority for the SEC – Paul Atkins, Chairman of the US Securities and Exchange Commission, recently emphasized this. Although several important initiatives have already come from the US, the country is still ten years behind international competition. Catching up requires promoting innovation and reducing regulatory requirements.
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SEC Chairman Paul Atkins: “Crypto is a Top Priority”
Crypto is a top priority for the SEC – agency head Paul Atkins recently stated this during the DC Fintech Week. The Republican politician thus once again highlights the departure from the SEC’s previous crypto policy, which was predominantly based on repression.
Atkins already gained several years of experience in US agencies. In 2002, he began working for the SEC for the first time. The US Securities and Exchange Commission must deal with recurring issues, Atkins explained.
“The same problems persist, just in a new variation,” says the SEC Chairman. “Technology remains at the core,” he explains. Nowadays, technologies like blockchain and cryptocurrencies play the most important role.
“It is our top priority to address the entire issue surrounding crypto, digital assets, and tokenization. We are doing this with enthusiasm, because now is the time for it.”
Atkins has only held the office of SEC Chairman since April 2025. Until January, the agency was under the leadership of the notorious Democrat Gary Gensler, who built an international reputation as a vehement crypto opponent. Atkins has little understanding for his predecessor’s approach.
“The agency has had two different approaches so far. First, it buried its head in the sand – hoping that all of it [crypto] would simply disappear. The second approach was regulation through repression.”
While Gensler still tried to fight the industry and managed to drive many crypto companies out of the US, Atkins wants to achieve exactly the opposite.
“We are not using either of the two regulatory approaches. It is important for us to create a proper framework to bring back those who have fled to the US.”
SEC Regulation should Ensure Innovation in the Future.
The current office holder seems to fundamentally classify his role as head of the SEC differently than his predecessor Gary Gensler. Atkins argues that the agency would be better advised to ensure innovation rather than impose penalties.
“We must create a framework for innovations to flourish. I like to say that we are now the Commission for Securities and Innovation,” the Republican said.
Moderator Chris Brummer asked what specific goals Atkins had set for himself. He replied that the SEC needed an urgent overhaul, as many of its internal work processes and regulatory requirements are outdated.
Innovations – such as new developments in the crypto sector – should be enabled through openness and clear communication. Here too, Atkins distances himself from his predecessor Gary Gensler, who demanded clarification through personal contact with companies and often punished them with fines for their trust.
“Fundamentally, we must promote new ideas. If an idea is not good, the market will show its developers.”
For the US to compete internationally as a location for crypto companies, the regulatory landscape must change rapidly. Today, the country is already many years behind other locations in terms of development.
“Crypto is our most important task, as we are probably ten years behind. (…) We must catch up. This is part of promoting innovation. We have great people dedicated to this task.”
Only in September did the SEC introduce a new rule that massively facilitates the establishment of ETFs on stock exchanges. Crypto ETFs are considered the main beneficiaries of the new rule.
