Cryptos

Trump Could Pick New SEC Chairman “As Fast as Tomorrow”

December 3, 2024 OnEquity

Paul Atkins is currently the leading candidate, with about a 70% chance of being nominated as the next SEC chairman.

Incoming President Donald Trump’s transition team is reportedly considering several candidates for the role of SEC chairman and could announce its decision “as soon as tomorrow,” according to FOX Business reporter Eleanor Terrett, citing sources familiar with the matter.

Who Will Be Trump’s SEC Chairman?

Traders at Kalshi are betting on Paul Atkins, a former SEC commissioner, as the most likely nominee for the role of SEC chairman under Donald Trump’s second term. Support for Atkins has grown steadily following his interview with Trump’s transition team.

Atkins currently leads the betting pool with nearly a 70% chance of nomination, surpassing Brian Brooks, who now holds a 20% chance, according to Kalshi’s oddsmakers.

Atkins is widely known for his pro-innovation stance on digital assets and the fintech sector. He has been critical of the SEC’s existing regulatory approach under Gary Gensler, which he views as excessively focused on enforcement. Atkins has consistently advocated for clearer regulations surrounding cryptocurrency-linked products and a supportive regulatory framework for innovation.

If selected as SEC chairman, Atkins is expected to adopt a friendlier approach to cryptocurrency regulation.

Other potential candidates include:

  • Mark Uyeda, current SEC commissioner.
  • Dan Gallagher, Robinhood’s Chief Legal Officer.
  • Heath Tarbert, former chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

SEC Chairman Gary Gensler to Step Down in January

Gary Gensler, the current SEC chairman, will step down on January 20, 2025, after serving as the agency’s 33rd chairman since April 17, 2021.

Gensler’s tenure has been marked by heightened scrutiny of the cryptocurrency sector. Under his leadership, the SEC initiated numerous enforcement actions against cryptocurrency intermediaries for registration violations and fraud.

During Gensler’s time at the helm, the SEC also approved Bitcoin and Ethereum spot and futures ETFs, a significant milestone for the crypto industry.

Related posts

Cryptos, Markets

SEC Pushes Back Decisions on Crypto ETFs to October

August 19, 2025 OnEquity

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has once again delayed rulings on multiple cryptocurrency exchange-traded fund (ETF) applications, moving most deadlines into October 2025. The extensions affect filings tied to Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, XRP, Litecoin, and Dogecoin, underscoring the regulator’s cautious approach as it evaluates how to integrate digital assets into the broader financial […]

Cryptos, Markets

Ripple Challenges SEC’s Classification of Fungible Cryptocurrencies in Secondary Sales

May 28, 2025 OnEquity

Ripple has formally argued to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that fungible cryptocurrencies, when traded in secondary markets, should not be considered securities. In a letter dated May 27, Ripple—the blockchain firm behind XRP—cited legal scholar Lewis Cohen’s influential 2022 paper “The Inescapable Modality of Securities Law,” which asserts there is no legal […]

Cryptos, Markets

Trump Signed Several Dozen Executive Orders on His First Day, But None on Cryptocurrencies

January 21, 2025 OnEquity

America has a new leader. Yesterday, Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States, becoming the first cryptocurrency-friendly president in the country’s history. During his campaign last year, Trump openly expressed his support for cryptocurrencies, making bold promises such as turning the U.S. into a global cryptocurrency hub and creating […]