Trump Team Interviews Pro-Crypto Paul Atkins for SEC Chair

President-elect Donald Trump’s team has interviewed crypto advocate Paul Atkins as a candidate to replace Gary Gensler as SEC Chair. Atkins is a veteran financial regulator and eminence grise of conservative financial circles. According to sources familiar with the matter, Atkins is one of the top choices by Trump’s team to replace Gensler.

Trump is expected to make a pick for SEC chair in the coming days, but no decisions have been made, according to sources. Gary Gensler announced that he will step down from his position as SEC chair on January 20th, three days after SEC commissioner Jaime Lizárraga also intends to step down.

Current SEC Commissioner Mark Uyeda; Heath Tarbert, a former chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission; and Robert Stebbins, a partner at Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, are also among those being considered for the job, according to a recent Bloomberg report. “President-Elect Trump has made brilliant decisions on who will serve in his second Administration at lightning pace. Remaining decisions will continue to be announced by him when they are made,” Trump spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.

More About Potential SEC Chair Paul Atkins

Paul Atkins has yet to respond to the public about the SEC interview or his knowledge of an upcoming decision. He previously served as a Republican SEC commissioner during the George W. Bush administration. Atkins is a strong proponent of digital assets and fintech companies and has also testified before Congress on ways to restructure the agency’s operations and reduce what some industry participants would consider duplicative or overly burdensome regulations.

Also Read: AI Predicts Ripple’s Price If XRP ETFs Are Approved By Jan-Feb 2025

With the SEC’s new framework of leaders, much looser regulations are expected in the cryptocurrency sector. The departure of the SEC Commissioner leaves just one Democrat in the SEC when Donald Trump returns to office. The President-elect had already discussed firing Gensler on his first day in office before the latter announced his departure. Caroline Crenshaw will be the sole Democrat on the five-member commission, serving alongside Republicans Hester Peirce and Commissioner Uyeda. With more Republicans in the commission, crypto firms are expected to breathe a bit easier.