Atkins Rejects CFTC Role, Pushes Clearer Crypto Rules and Agency Harmony

• Paul Atkins rejects CFTC leadership role, urging SEC-CFTC cooperation and clearer crypto oversight rules.

• Congress prepares reforms to split digital asset regulation; Atkins calls the Howey test outdated and unclear.

• White House demands market structure changes by year-end, adding urgency to SEC and CFTC coordination.

SEC Chair Paul Atkins has dismissed being the head of CFTC, emphasizing collaboration between regulators. Atkin Instead is driving the push for more defined crypto regulations, ease of reporting among publicly traded corporations, and alignment with the White House push to reform financial markets. 

These remarks by Atkins occur as Washington discusses transformations in leadership and lawmakers demand structural modifications in the regulation of digital assets. His position is an indicator of continuity at the SEC.

Atkins Rules Out CFTC Role, Pushes for Harmonization

Atkin’s emphasised harmonization and clarity. He dismissed reports suggesting he could chair the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, stating he is committed to the SEC. “Thanks, but no thanks,” he said, adding that coordination between regulators is the priority. Atkins emphasized that the merging of the SEC and CFTC is not a possibility. Rather, the way should be joint monitoring using harmonized frameworks. His comments come when the Trump administration is looking at a new nominee for CFTC following the setback in the previous nominee. 

The SEC chair said that the regulators have to establish a uniform surveillance of the digital markets. His decision to turn down the CFTC position eliminates the uncertainty over the leadership, when both agencies set a roundtable to harmonize crypto regulation. Atkins affirmed that Congress is drawing up market structure reforms that would divide the responsibilities between the two agencies. The CFTC would control digital commodities and spot markets, whereas the SEC would control the assets of investment contracts. He noted that the SEC must not be the Securities and Everything Commission. To him, the jurisdiction is determined by statutory boundaries, and the law is long overdue for some clarity from the legislators. 

Crypto Oversight and White House Reform Deadline

Atkins also condemned the decades-old Howey test by labeling it as being too imprecise in the contemporary markets. He held that Congressional advice would be better both to investors and regulators. Employees of the SEC are currently collaborating with the lawmakers to streamline these frameworks, but it is feared that the reforms can be pushed into the year 2026. He pointed to the demand of President Trump to have market structure legislation passed by the end of the year. The expectation was made evident during the signing of the GENIUS Act by the president, who imposed a deadline that reflects the political drive.

According to his remarks, the regulators are gearing towards a change in the financial regulation in the United States, and the rules that control companies and investors will be simplified. Atkins further stated that SEC reforms are also meant to reduce information overload on the market participants and shift the focus back to material disclosures. By eliminating the CFTC position, Atkins was able to put himself in place to head the SEC to this next stage. It will depend on the result of how the U.S. markets would adjust to digital assets, regulatory clarity, and fresh pressure in the White House.