David Edwards
The appointment of Paul Atkins as Chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has triggered a wave of optimism across the cryptocurrency industry, signaling a potential departure from the agency’s previously adversarial regulatory approach. Sworn in on April 21, Atkins—a former SEC commissioner known for his deregulatory philosophy—succeeds Gary Gensler, whose tenure was marked by aggressive enforcement actions against the digital asset sector.
In a recent episode of Byte-Sized Insight by Cointelegraph, several crypto executives shared their perspectives on what Atkins’ leadership could mean for the future of digital finance in the United States.
Crypto’s “Golden Age” May Be Imminent
Chris Perkins, President of CoinFund, characterized the new SEC regime as a turning point. “We were under this regulatory reign of terror under the Biden administration,” said Perkins, noting that both investors and developers were hesitant to engage due to regulatory uncertainty and reputational risk.
Perkins foresees a significant acceleration in venture capital and developer engagement: “You’re taking that personal liability off… It’s a perfect storm—new institutional capital is coming in, new developers are coming in. This is going to be a golden age for venture and value creation.”
Shift from Enforcement to Clarity
Katherine Dowling, General Counsel and Chief Commercial Officer at Bitwise Asset Management, echoed the sentiment. “The mood has already changed,” she noted, referencing the recent dismissal of several legal actions. “This isn’t about removing regulation. It’s about rethinking it—taking a step back to define digital assets and determine how they should be regulated.”
Dowling emphasized that the goal of the new SEC leadership is regulatory clarity, not a regulatory vacuum. “It’s about understanding what these assets are, what they look like, and crafting policy accordingly.”
Path Forward: IPOs, Capital Access, and Market Structure Reform
James Gernetzke, CFO of crypto wallet firm Exodus, expects a normalization of capital market timelines. “The promise of engaging with a rational regulator is very helpful,” he stated. “We’ll see a return to more normal IPO cycles—months 10, 11, 12, I think the rush is coming.”
Perkins also highlighted the broader implications of the anticipated market structure legislation. “This bill is going to have a significant impact. Knowing what your asset is, having a defined process for capital formation and disclosures—it’s transformative.”
