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Judge blocks Trump from closing East Potomac Park golf course for now Trump asks Supreme Court to curb judges' power to void unlawful rules nationwide On tape: Richard Blumenthal says the Trump administration let $190 million in anti-human trafficking grants lapse On tape: Rep. Chip Roy, a Republican, on the House floor: the president never asked Congress before sending troops… Massie to force new House vote to end Trump's Iran war before he leaves in January Over 200 Democrats ask appeals court to strike down VA's abortion ban for veterans Kushner says U.S. is brokering Europe-Russia talks and planning next Ukraine round Blumenthal says Lutnick 'must go' over stalled Nvidia chip blacklist for Megaspeed NBC says Democrat Mary Peltola likely to beat Sen. Dan Sullivan in Alaska On tape: Hakeem Jeffries: Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick could face Intel Committee subpoenas over Nvidia scandal Judge blocks Trump from closing East Potomac Park golf course for now Trump asks Supreme Court to curb judges' power to void unlawful rules nationwide On tape: Richard Blumenthal says the Trump administration let $190 million in anti-human trafficking grants lapse On tape: Rep. Chip Roy, a Republican, on the House floor: the president never asked Congress before sending troops… Massie to force new House vote to end Trump's Iran war before he leaves in January Over 200 Democrats ask appeals court to strike down VA's abortion ban for veterans Kushner says U.S. is brokering Europe-Russia talks and planning next Ukraine round Blumenthal says Lutnick 'must go' over stalled Nvidia chip blacklist for Megaspeed NBC says Democrat Mary Peltola likely to beat Sen. Dan Sullivan in Alaska On tape: Hakeem Jeffries: Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick could face Intel Committee subpoenas over Nvidia scandal
Paul Atkins
Photo: United States Securities and Exchange Commission, Public domain

The Administration · Money, markets and the airwaves

Paul Atkins

SEC Chairman

A former SEC commissioner and consultant to financial and cryptocurrency firms, he is loosening Wall Street's rulebook: lighter reporting, friendlier treatment of digital tokens and fewer disclosure mandates.

Biography

Paul Atkins was born in Lillington, North Carolina, grew up in Tampa, Florida, and graduated from Wofford College in 1980 and Vanderbilt's law school in 1983. 1 2 He practiced securities law in New York, including about two and a half years in Paris, and from 1990 to 1994 worked on the staffs of two Securities and Exchange Commission chairmen. 2 President George W. Bush appointed him a commissioner, and he served from 2002 to 2008. 2

As a commissioner he was regarded as the most conservative member, pressing for cost-benefit analysis of rules and opposing heavy penalties on companies. 4 In 2009 he founded Patomak Global Partners, a consulting firm for financial companies, and sat on the congressional panel overseeing the bank bailout. 2 He joined a cryptocurrency advocacy group, the Token Alliance, in 2017. 4

President-elect Trump announced his choice in December 2024, calling digital assets important to his plans; the Senate confirmed him on April 9, 2025, and he was sworn in as the 34th chairman on April 21. 4 3 Wikipedia reports that he held about $6 million in cryptocurrency-related investments when appointed and pledged to divest, and that the agency under him dropped or settled many cases against crypto firms. 1

His agenda in 2026 has been to cut requirements. The commission proposed letting companies report results twice a year instead of quarterly, moved to scrap a climate-risk disclosure rule, proposed repealing a rule that limits political donations by money managers who seek public pension business, and in September issued an exemption allowing trading of stocks in digital token form. 1 5 7 The agency reported 348 enforcement actions for fiscal year 2026. 6

In the job

The acts and events that have defined the post so far, oldest first.

  1. Sworn in as the 34th chairman. 3

  2. Sold his stake in Patomak Global Partners to an undisclosed buyer for between $25 million and $50 million, The Lever reported, according to Wikipedia. 1

  3. Said he would fast-track the president's call to end mandatory quarterly earnings reports. 1

  4. The commission proposed letting public companies file reports every six months instead of every quarter. 8

  5. The commission proposed eliminating its rule requiring companies to disclose climate-related risks, The New York Times reported, according to Wikipedia. 1

  6. Proposed rescinding the pay-to-play rule, which bars investment advisers from managing public pension money for two years after donating to officials who oversee it. 5

  7. Issued a temporary five-year exemption allowing certain venues to trade stocks issued as digital tokens on public blockchains. 7

  8. Reported fiscal 2026 enforcement results: 348 actions and $1.095 billion in monetary relief ordered; he said case counts are not the most meaningful measure of the program. 6

Disputes, and their side

What critics, courts or investigators have said, and the answer given. An allegation is not a finding.

  1. The investor group Better Markets said the pay-to-play rule has curbed corruption, not speech, and Mother Jones reported that the agency's cases involving abuse of public finance fell from 97 in 2016 to seven in 2025. 5

    Their side: Atkins argued the rule is so complex that firms ban all staff donations, punishes small contributions heavily and suppresses political speech. 5

  2. Wikipedia reports that he owned about $6 million in crypto-related holdings when appointed and that later filings listed sales that did not include the crypto businesses, while the agency dropped or settled numerous crypto cases. 1

    Their side: He pledged during confirmation to divest; no later public response found. 1

  3. Critics of the six-month reporting plan said it could let companies delay bad news and raise the risk of insider trading. 8

    Their side: He said the change would give companies flexibility to choose how often they report. 8

Career

  1. Securities lawyer in New York and Paris (Davis Polk and Wardwell)
  2. SEC staff: chief of staff to Chairman Richard Breeden and counselor to Chairman Arthur Levitt
  3. Consultant on securities and investment management matters
  4. SEC Commissioner, appointed by President George W. Bush
  5. Founder and chief executive of Patomak Global Partners
  6. Member of the Congressional Oversight Panel for the Troubled Asset Relief Program
  7. Non-executive chairman of BATS Global Markets
  8. Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission

Our reporting

We have not yet published a story that names Paul Atkins. When we do, it will appear here.

Sources for this file

  1. Wikipedia, Paul S. Atkins, Oct. 14, 2026
  2. SEC.gov, Paul S. Atkins, Nov. 13, 2026
  3. SEC.gov, Paul S. Atkins Sworn In as SEC Chairman, April 21, 2025
  4. CBS News (AP), Trump to nominate Paul Atkins, a cryptocurrency advocate, for SEC chair, Dec. 4, 2024
  5. Mother Jones, The SEC Wants to Scrap a Key Anti-Corruption Rule Targeting Private Equity, Sept. 24, 2026
  6. SEC.gov, SEC Announces Enforcement Annual Results for Fiscal Year 2026, Nov. 10, 2026
  7. SEC.gov, SEC Issues "Innovation Exemption" to Facilitate the Trading of Tokenized NMS Stock and Request for Comment, Sept. 17, 2026
  8. SEC news release (via Newsfile), SEC Proposes Amendments to Permit Optional Semiannual Reporting by Public Companies, May 5, 2026

File checked Nov. 13, 2026. Something wrong or out of date? Tell the desk.