Paul Atkins, former SEC chairman under Trump, launches the ‘Crypto Project’ to modernize 90-year-old rules and align the agency with presidential recommendations, aiming to attract the crypto industry.
The custody of digital assets is now a priority, with strict regulation of storage and processing of cryptocurrencies to ensure security and regulatory compliance.
The SEC aims to act without waiting for Congress, leveraging the GENIUS Act and exploring the use of blockchain to enhance instant payments while limiting risks.
Paul Atkins, the new SEC chairman under the Trump administration, is not willing to wait any longer. Appearing on Fox Business on ‘Mornings With Maria’, he announced that the U.S. agency is ‘mobilizing’ to thoroughly review its rules on digital assets. The goal is to make the United States more attractive to the crypto industry while ensuring a clear and secure framework.
Behind this acceleration lies the Crypto Project, a roadmap aimed at aligning the SEC with the presidential task force’s recommendations. Atkins wants to ‘modernize certain rules’ that are ‘nearly 90 years old’ to finally adapt them to the digital economy.
Vers de nouvelles règles de conservation des actifs numériques
Among the top priorities: the custody of cryptocurrencies. Atkins intends to regulate how brokers, asset managers, and investment advisers store and process crypto transactions. According to him, no more forgotten bitcoins on a USB stick at the bottom of a drawer; they must be placed in secure and regulated infrastructures.
The goal is clear: to provide regulatory certainty to investors and institutional players. Atkins emphasizes that this modernization will be based on laws already passed by Congress, including the GENIUS Act, as well as ongoing discussions on market structures.
L’autonomie de la SEC face au calendrier du Congrès
If Congress continues to work on a comprehensive legislative framework, Atkins believes that the SEC does not need to wait to act. He asserts that the agency already has the authority to move forward, at least on certain technical rules.
Our goal is to provide clarity and certainty, even before all laws are finalized.
Paiements instantanés : un futur boosté par la blockchain ?
Atkins also commented on a court decision regarding debit card fees, seeing it as an opportunity for instant payment networks. The idea is to reduce settlement times, which remain a vulnerability today.
He believes that blockchain could support such payments, while warning that a slight delay may sometimes be necessary to correct errors or prevent unforeseen disasters.
The longer it takes to settle a transaction, the higher the risk of an unforeseen event.
Un signal fort pour l’écosystème crypto
By taking action now, Paul Atkins’ SEC sends a clear message: the era of regulatory gray areas is coming to an end in the United States. From revising custody rules to adapting historical financial regulations and opening up to blockchain for payments, Washington aims to show that it can be both pro-innovation and protective of investors.
If this momentum continues, it could reposition the United States as a global leader in crypto regulation, a significant challenge as Europe progresses with MiCA and Asia attracts more and more digital capital.
