In a keynote address at the SEC’s latest Crypto Roundtable, Paul Atkins commented on the Commission’s role in crypto policy. He identified three key regulatory focus areas: issuance, custody, and trading.
Compared with his last Roundtable appearance in late April, Atkins gave an insightful look at his ambitious crypto agenda. With these priorities, it seems like the SEC will truly transform US crypto policy.
Paul Atkins’ Plans for the SEC
Earlier today, the SEC hosted its fourth Crypto Roundtable discussion, centered around tokenization. Its agenda has been telegraphed for several weeks, and the Commission published several members’ full statements.
Hester “Crypto Mom” Peirce was enthusiastic, Caroline Crenshaw displayed her usual skepticism, and SEC Chair Paul Atkins gave a keynote address:
“In order for the United States to be the ‘crypto capital of the planet’ as envisioned by President Trump, the Commission must keep pace with innovation. Rules and regulations designed for off-chain securities may be incompatible with or unnecessary for on-chain assets and stifle the growth of blockchain technology,” he claimed.
This discussion is Paul Atkins’ second Crypto Roundtable discussion since becoming SEC Chair. Today’s appearance, however, was very different.
Although his speech in April was remarkably brief, this keynote address was much more comprehensive. Atkins’ comments extended past tokenization to give insights into his overall outlook on crypto policy.
His comments revolved around a common theme: the digital asset industry is comprehensively different from TradFi institutions, and requires a new approach.