The U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission published opening remarks by Chairman Paul S. Atkins at the agency’s first town hall, outlining his priorities as the new chair. The agenda centers on refocusing the SEC on its statutory mission while pursuing a clearer regulatory approach for digital assets and improving internal operations and governance. On crypto policy, Atkins said a top priority is to address the regulatory treatment of digital assets and distributed ledger technologies through a rational and coherent framework, with Commissioner Hester Peirce continuing to lead the Crypto Task Force. The task force has held three roundtables on defining security status, tailoring regulation for crypto trading, and custody, with two further roundtables planned on tokenization and decentralized finance. Operationally, he said the SEC will begin a review of its technology infrastructure and contractual obligations, flagged forthcoming “targeted” reorganization, and noted headcount is down 15% since the start of the fiscal year, with staffing at about 4,200 employees and 1,700 contractors. Atkins said the technology and contract review will start on 7 May 2025, and the crypto roundtable series will continue with the two additional sessions to gather further public input.
U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission2025-05-08
U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission chair Atkins prioritizes a coherent crypto framework and starts an agency technology and contract review
U.S. SEC Chairman Paul S. Atkins outlined priorities at the agency's first town hall, focusing on clearer digital asset regulation and improving internal operations. The SEC will address digital assets through a coherent framework, with Commissioner Hester Peirce leading the Crypto Task Force. Additionally, the SEC plans to review its technology infrastructure and contractual obligations, noting a 15% decrease in headcount since the fiscal year's start.