tl;dr
Paul Atkins, the nominee for chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), is likely to be confirmed and cleared for work before the end of the week. The U.S. Senate has scheduled a cloture vote for his confirmation on April 9, with a potential full confirmation vote as early as 7:0...
Paul Atkins, the nominee for chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), is likely to be confirmed and cleared for work before the end of the week. The U.S. Senate has scheduled a cloture vote for his confirmation on April 9, with a potential full confirmation vote as early as 7:00 p.m. If confirmed, Atkins may bring a shift towards pro-crypto policies, potentially impacting enforcement and new product offerings.
According to a scoop from independent journalist Eleanor Terrett, the U.S. Senate has scheduled an important vote that may pave the way for his confirmation. The Senate has scheduled a cloture vote for chair nominee Paul Atkins at 11:30 a.m. ET on April 9. Should the vote succeed, Paul Atkins may have a full confirmation vote as early as 7:00 p.m. This brings the possible timeline for his ascension as permanent chairman to less than 48 hours.
Since the new U.S. administration came on board, Mark Uyeda has filled the gap as the acting chair of the commission. However, a confirmation for Paul Atkins will mean an end to the reign of Mark Uyeda.
Many industry leaders have validated Paul Atkins’ nomination to lead the commission, drawing on his records. As a former commissioner, he has always advocated for pro-crypto policies and might maintain this push when he is confirmed for office.
The crypto ecosystem is shifting from Gary Gensler's aggressive positioning, which preferred regulation by enforcement. With most of the aggressive enforcement policies now out the door, expectations for new products like a Dogecoin ETF and related offerings remain a strong possibility under Atkins.