Paul Atkins, the newly appointed chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, has reassured the crypto industry that he will continue to drive securities policy reform to foster digital asset innovation.
During his first public event as chairman, a crypto roundtable held at the SEC's Washington headquarters, Atkins emphasized the agency's commitment to establishing a rational and purpose-built framework for the crypto sector. Although the agency and industry are awaiting congressional action to establish oversight of the crypto market, Atkins suggested that the regulator can still take proactive steps under existing rules and laws.
He highlighted the potential of special-purpose crypto broker-dealers and indicated that the agency will review custody rules to accommodate crypto assets and blockchain technology. Atkins' leadership is anticipated to bring regulatory clarity to the digital assets sector, and his experience advising and investing in digital asset firms has sparked optimism within the industry.