Donald Trump Finally Reveals His Pick For U.S. SEC Chairman

President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Paul Atkins, a former SEC commissioner with a strong track record of supporting cryptocurrency, to lead the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), according to a Tuesday report by Unchained Crypto, citing three sources familiar with the matter.

Trump is currently awaiting Atkins to confirm whether he will accept the nomination. If Atkins declines, Trump will need to select another candidate. If he agrees, the nomination will move forward to the Senate for approval.

A Solid Choice

Atkins, who served as an SEC commissioner under President George W. Bush, has been a vocal advocate for the cryptocurrency sector since leaving the commission. He has co-chaired the Token Alliance at the Digital Chamber of Commerce since 2017 and has been advising digital finance firms on regulatory matters through his consultancy, Potomak Global Partners, which he founded in 2009.

Senate Republicans hold Commissioner Paul Atkins in high regard, said J.W. Verret, a professor at George Mason University and former SEC Advisory Committee member. He was the first libertarian to serve as an SEC commissioner, which was a groundbreaking moment at the time.

The New Administration

Should Atkins accept the nomination, he is expected to bring a pro-innovation, pro-crypto approach to the SEC, encouraging growth while ensuring proper regulation. Paul Atkins was always incredibly respectful and appreciative of the SEC staff, said John Reed Stark, who worked with Atkins at the SEC in 2008, praising his leadership style.

The new Trump administration reached out to leaders in the crypto industry for input on the SEC chair position before making their decision. This nomination is part of broader efforts by Trump to fulfill promises made to the crypto community.

In addition to the SEC nomination, Trump has proposed creating a Crypto Advisory Council to guide policy and a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve using government-seized crypto assets. Other possible candidates to assist Atkins include Bitcoin supporter Scott Bessent as Treasury Secretary and Howard Lutnick, a backer of Bitcoin and stablecoins, as Commerce Secretary.