Coinbase Sees Clear Skies Ahead With SEC Power Shift Favoring Digital Assets

Coinbase Chief Legal Officer Paul Grewal offered his perspective following the Senate Banking Committee’s hearing last week to evaluate Paul Atkins’ nomination as chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Grewal, who attended the proceedings in person, shared his impressions on social media platform X, where he highlighted Atkins’ remarks on transparency, digital assets, and financial inclusion. The hearing also featured comments from Jonathan Gould, the nominee for Comptroller of the Currency, in a joint discussion of regulatory priorities.

During the hearing, Atkins pledged a shift toward a more open and collaborative SEC, one that actively listens to both industry stakeholders and consumers. Grewal welcomed this shift in tone and direction, stating that it represented “a refreshing change from the past.” He also emphasized Atkins’ commitment to prioritizing the crypto sector:

Mr. Atkins emphasized that digital assets are a top priority this year. Getting workable rules and regulatory clarity for crypto will unlock U.S.-based innovation, new markets for investors, and benefit American consumers and America’s position as a global technological and economic leader.

“Parallel work on legislation and at the SEC can get us there and Atkins’ leadership at the latter will be a boon for clarity,” the Coinbase legal chief added.

Grewal further noted that Atkins, alongside Gould, expressed a firm commitment to ending the practice of debanking, which has disproportionately affected crypto-related companies and underserved communities. Atkins advocated a return to the SEC’s foundational mission, calling for the agency to get “back to basics.” Grewal concluded his reflections with strong support for Atkins’ potential leadership:

He’ll be a breath of fresh air atop a crucial oversight and rulemaking agency and I look forward to his official confirmation by the committee and full Senate soon.

Atkins, addressing senators, connected his call for clearer crypto rules to broader economic goals under the Trump administration. “A top priority of my chairmanship will be to work with my fellow commissioners and Congress to provide a firm regulatory foundation for digital assets through a rational, coherent, and principled approach,” he stated. The SEC Chair nominee affirmed: “I am eager to get to work for American markets and investors. Should I be confirmed, my goal will be to ensure that the United States is the best and most secure place in the world to do business and for Americans to invest their hard-earned dollars to save and provide for their future.”