December 4, 2024
President-elect Donald Trump announced today that he plans to nominate Paul Atkins to chair the SEC. Atkins would replace SEC Chair Gary Gensler, who announced last month that he will step down from his position on January 20, 2025.
Atkins currently serves as CEO of Patomak Partners. From 2012 to 2015, he served as an independent director and non-executive Chairman of the Board of BATS Global Markets, Inc., a leading operator of electronic U.S. and European securities markets trading listed cash equity securities and equity options (since acquired by CBOE). Prior to founding Patomak, Mr. Atkins served as an SEC Commissioner from 2002 to 2008. He was among the most conservative of commissioners during his time at the SEC, calling for greater transparency in and analysis of the costs and benefits of new SEC rules.
In 2017, Atkins joined Token Alliance , a cryptocurrency advocacy organization. Trump is a major advocate for cryptocurrency. In September 2024, he promised to make America the “crypto capital of the planet” if he returned to the White House.
