Paul Atkins To Face Nomination Hearing for US SEC Chair Role Next Week

US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman nominee Paul Atkins will appear before the Senate Banking Committee for his long-awaited confirmation hearing in the coming week. The committee will decide whether Atkins is a suitable replacement for Gary Gensler and will also consider other pro-crypto nominations.

Paul Atkins US SEC Chair Hearing

According to the released schedule, the US Senate hearing for Atkins is scheduled for Thursday, March 27. 

In addition to this hearing, the Senate panel intends to weigh the nomination of Jonathan Gould to serve in the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Anyone who occupies this office is responsible for overseeing U.S. national banks. This is a key area of interest for crypto firms, especially to reverse the debanking menace permanently.

Before now, Paul Atkins served as a commissioner with the US SEC but is very supportive of digital asset initiatives. 

He was in charge of a Washington firm that managed clients with financial compliance issues. The broader crypto ecosystem expects him to sustain the pro-crypto momentum that President Donald Trump brought to the US following his inauguration.

Paul Atkins the Trump Choice for SEC

In December, President Donald Trump nominated Paul Atkins as the next chair of the SEC, citing his pro-crypto stance. 

Trump also highlighted that Atkins is a proven leader in “common sense” regulations. At the time, several market observers pointed out the SEC’s regulation-by-enforcement approach.

Prior to his confirmation, Trump designated Mark Uyeda as acting Chairman. Uyeda has upheld the president’s pro-crypto agenda, and Atkins is expected to maintain the current status quo.

In the long term, he is expected to implement policies that favor the crypto ecosystem, which may eventually change the regulatory outlook of the region and attract more investors.

US SEC Turnaround Under Mark Uyeda

Mark Uyeda has served as the SEC’s interim chairman since January 20, when Trump was inaugurated. 

In this position, many changes have come to the crypto ecosystem within two months. Some lawsuits against crypto firms have been retracted. While it started with the Coinbase lawsuit, other cases tied to Uniswap, Robinhood Crypto, OpenSea, and Kraken have also been closed.

The US SEC closed the Ripple lawsuit earlier this week, a major pivot that shows no legal obligation for Paul Atkins if confirmed. Similarly, the US President also recently signed an executive order establishing the strategic Bitcoin reserve. 

This reserve, according to industry leaders, may also expand to altcoins like XRP soon.