Informed sources revealed that President-elect Donald Trump has interviewed former SEC Commissioner Paul Atkins regarding his potential appointment as SEC Chair.
An industry insider revealed that Paul Atkins was seen at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago this week. Another informed person indicated that he was scheduled for interviews regarding the SEC Chair position on Sunday and Monday.
However, foreign media (CoinDesk) quoted sources familiar with Paul Atkins' thoughts, stating that this is an 'unattractive position' for him, as restructuring the entire agency is a 'big project.' It is reported that Paul Atkins believes the current SEC Chair Gary Gensler is mismanaging the agency, and he is unwilling to take on this 'hot potato.'
Chris Giancarlo, the former chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) known as 'Crypto Dad,' also recommended Paul Atkins for the position of SEC Chair. In fact, Chris Giancarlo himself was once considered a candidate for the role, but he stated that he was unwilling to deal with Gensler's 'mess.'
Paul Atkins is the founder and CEO of the consulting firm Patomak Global Partners, which is a global advisory firm specializing in strategy, risk management, and regulatory compliance. Patomak provides services to cryptocurrency companies, but this is just a small part of its business; other clients include traditional financial clients, publicly traded companies, industry associations, law firms, banks, and insurance companies.
Before founding Patomak, Paul Atkins served as an SEC commissioner from 2002 to 2008, having been nominated by former President George W. Bush. During his time at the SEC, his advisors included Mark Uyeda and Hester Pierce, both of whom are now SEC commissioners.
Paul Atkins is highly respected in conservative circles. According to sources close to him, he has a friendly relationship with hedge fund Key Square Group founder Scott Bessent, who has been nominated by Trump to be the next Secretary of the Treasury.
Sources close to Paul Atkins have disclosed that he is unwilling to leave the consulting firm he founded. Insiders say that if he were to take the SEC Chair position, he would have to resign from his current position, distancing himself from his business interests.
Trump's transition team is reportedly considering cryptocurrency lawyer Teresa Goody Guillén for the position of SEC Chair, and high-level executives in the crypto space, such as Binance co-founder Changpeng Zhao and Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson, are supportive of her.
Other market-named candidates for SEC Chair include senior executives in cryptocurrency, former Acting Comptroller of the Currency Brian Brooks, and Circle's General Counsel Heath Tarbert, who previously served as CFTC Chair. Another candidate is Paul Hastings partner Brad Bondi.
Gary Gensler's resignation is 'a done deal'; who will be the next SEC Chair?
"Trump has his eye on Paul Atkins for SEC Chair! News: He is not very willing and fears taking on a hot potato." This article was first published on (Blockcast).
