SEC’s Paul Atkins Demands Clarity for Crypto: ’Regulate, Don’t Strangle’

Crypto’s regulatory limbo might finally crack—SEC heavyweight Paul Atkins slams the current ’regulation by enforcement’ approach, calling for clear rules instead of bureaucratic ambushes.

Wall Street’s old guard squirms as Atkins—a former SEC commissioner himself—torches the agency’s haphazard crypto crackdowns. ’Innovation deserves guardrails, not grenades,’ he fires across the bow.

Meanwhile, Bitcoin traders shrug—another day, another regulator realizing they can’t stuff the blockchain genie back in the bottle. The real surprise? It took this long for someone at the SEC to admit their playbook was written for flip phones.

SEC Chair Talks Crypto Regulation and Agency’s Role in First Remarks

As April is quickly approaching its end, it has already been a monumental year for cryptocurrency legislation in the United States. President Donald Trump has orchestrated a complete reversal of his policy sentiment, embracing the developing asset class.

That has continued with the arrival of new leadership for a critical agency. Indeed, speaking as SEC chair for the first time, Paul Atkins reaffirmed that crypto deserves clear legislation. Specifically, he discussed the asset class as he returned to the post he held as the 34th agency chairman.

Atkins accused the agency of holding innovation at bay within the sector by creating “regulatory uncertainty” under the past regime. “Market participants engaging in this technology deserve clear regulatory rules of the road,” he said, according to a Reuters report.

“I look forward to engaging with market participants and working with colleagues in President Trump’s administration and Congress to establish a rational, fit-for-purpose framework for crypto assets,” he added, speaking at the SEC’s crypto roundtable Friday.

Atkins also shares his expectations of “huge benefits” from the emergence of digital assets. Indeed, he has long been a pro-crypto advocate and is bringing that to this position. Subsequently, crypto regulation appears to be among his top priorities as chairman.