Democrats Blast SEC Chair Atkins Over Crypto Enforcement
House Democrats criticized SEC Chair Paul S. Atkins for easing crypto enforcement while he pushed to cut regulatory burdens to boost IPO activity.
Democratic lawmakers attacked SEC Chair Paul S. Atkins during a House Financial Services Committee hearing, arguing he has shifted enforcement policy in ways that favor the crypto industry and raise oversight concerns [4][1].
Atkins defended efforts to reduce what he described as an overly burdensome regulatory regime — telling lawmakers he targets roughly $2.7 billion in annual compliance costs for public companies and framing the changes as a way to encourage IPOs [3]. Opponents at the hearing said loosening policing "is not good for crypto" and warned such moves could undermine investor confidence amid recent market stress and scrutiny of presidential crypto dealings [2].
The exchange underscored sharp partisan divisions over crypto oversight: Democrats pressing for stricter enforcement and the SEC chair advocating lower regulatory costs to spur capital formation and listings [1][4][3].
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Citations
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- 1Democrats Blast SEC Chair Atkins Over Crypto EnforcementCrypto Breaking News• Feb 11, 2026
- 2'This Is Not Good for Crypto': Lawmakers Slam SEC Chair for Easing Industry PolicingDecrypt• Feb 11, 2026
- 3SEC Chair Atkins targets $2.7B annual regulatory burden in push ‘to make IPOs great again.’Cryptopolitan• Feb 11, 2026
- 4Democratic lawmakers slam SEC Chair Atkins over crypto enforcementCointelegraph• Feb 11, 2026
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