Trump’s SEC Chair Pick: Paul Atkins to Return to the Commission?

As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to announce his pick for Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair, Paul Atkins, a former SEC commissioner and a prominent voice in financial policy, is emerging as a top contender for the role.

Sources familiar with the transition process say Atkins, who recently interviewed with Trump, is being strongly considered for the position.

Atkins, who served as an SEC commissioner from 2002 to 2008, is a well-known figure in financial regulation, particularly for his pro-innovation stance on digital assets and fintech.

His tenure at the SEC began shortly after the Enron and WorldCom accounting scandals and concluded just before the collapse of Lehman Brothers.

In the years since, Atkins has led his own consulting firm, Patomak Global Partners, advising clients in the financial sector, including banks, cryptocurrency companies, and trading firms.

The SEC has been in the spotlight under its current chair, Gary Gensler, who has faced backlash from the financial industry and the cryptocurrency community due to his aggressive regulatory approach. Wall Street has been eagerly awaiting Trump’s choice for the next SEC chair, with many anticipating a shift toward a lighter-touch approach.

Atkins, if appointed and confirmed, is expected to steer the agency in that direction, with a focus on clarity in regulations—particularly in the rapidly growing and often contentious crypto market.

Paul Atkins
*Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg*

Atkins’ support among market observers has gained momentum, with betting platform Kalshi showing a 70% likelihood of his appointment as SEC Chair.

He is seen as a more balanced figure compared to other candidates, such as Brian Brooks, former acting comptroller of the currency, and current SEC Commissioner Mark Uyeda. In fact, Brooks has dropped to a distant second in the race with a 20% chance of appointment.

A key area where Atkins is expected to make an impact is the regulation of the $3 trillion cryptocurrency market. During a Federalist Society event in April, Atkins criticized the SEC’s current "regulation-by-enforcement" approach, calling the lack of clear crypto regulations a "fundamental underlying issue" that needs to be addressed.

He has been a strong advocate for a regulatory framework that promotes innovation, offering a stark contrast to Gensler’s enforcement-heavy methods.

Atkins' background in both government and private consulting positions him as a seasoned candidate who understands the balance between regulation and fostering economic growth. His potential appointment would mark a return to the SEC after a 16-year hiatus, during which he has gained further expertise in the financial sector.

As the transition team moves toward a final decision, Wall Street awaits Trump’s official announcement of his SEC Chair pick. The role, which will soon be vacated by Gensler, will be pivotal in shaping the future of financial regulation in the U.S., particularly as the SEC navigates new challenges posed by emerging technologies like cryptocurrency.