SEC's Atkins: U.S. Ten Years Late to Crypto, Vows Quick Reforms

Paul Atkins, SEC Chair, told fintech leaders on October 16, 2025, that the U.S. trails crypto innovation by ten years. Past regulatory hurdles under Gary Gensler pushed projects to Singapore and Dubai. Atkins highlighted how unclear rules stifled growth and drove capital abroad. Focus Shifts to Supporting Startups Atkins pledged to transform the SEC into an innovation hub. He proposed exemptions for crypto startups to test models without heavy securities oversight. This aligns with the Trump administration’s push to bring blockchain development back to the U.S. Superapps and Regulatory Streamlining Atkins endorsed superapps, platforms merging payments, investing, and banking, common in Asia. He urged digital coordination with agencies like the CFTC to simplify oversight. These changes aim to address fragmented rules, though no launch timeline was shared. New Leadership Drives Policy Change Gensler left the SEC in January 2025 after high-profile enforcement against Binance and Coinbase. Most cases were dropped by March. Atkins’ lighter regulatory approach coincides with a 136% surge in crypto trading volumes in Q3 2025.