SEC Chair Paul Akins Slams Gensler Regime for ‘Stifling’ Crypto Innovation

Newly sworn-in SEC Chair Paul Atkins gave his first full address Friday, praising the Commission’s recent pro-crypto work in his absence, and condemning the agency’s previous moves against the industry under previous Chair Gary Gensler and the Joe Biden administration. “Market participants engaging with this technology deserve clear regulatory rules of the road,” Atkins said of crypto, from the agency’s Washington headquarters. “Innovation has unfortunately been stifled for the last several years due to market and regulatory uncertainty that, unfortunately, the SEC has fostered.”The comments came ahead of the SEC’s third dedicated crypto roundtable, which today focused on “My warmest personal thanks go to Commissioner Peirce for her principled and tireless advocacy for common sense crypto policy within the United States,” he said. “It’s no wonder that she has justly earned the title of ‘Crypto Mom.’”Over the last 90-odd days, under Peirce’s leadership, the SEC has overhauled its Now Atkins, a former SEC commissioner under President George W. Bush, is back in the building after a months-long “I look forward to engaging with market participants, and working with colleagues, President Trump’s administration, and Congress to establish a rational, fit for purpose framework for crypto assets,” Atkins said today. “I expect huge benefits from this market innovation in terms of efficiency, cost reduction, transparency, and risk mitigation,” he added.