Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Atkins has addressed questions about potential conflicts of interest amid ongoing attention on President Trump and his family's involvement in cryptocurrency ventures.

During a conference hosted by Georgetown University's Parrosh Center for Financial Markets and Policy on Thursday, a student asked Atkins about his views on conflicts of interest in the cryptocurrency sector.

Atkins responded: "I mean, if there are conflicts of interest, we will try to root them out, but first we need to establish standards."

The Trump family-backed cryptocurrency company World Liberty Financial (WLF) has come under renewed scrutiny following investigations revealing that the Trump administration was consecutively involved in two transactions involving WLF, as well as approving the export of thousands of American AI chips to the United Arab Emirates.

According to reports, UAE-based investment company MGX stated it would invest $2 billion in cryptocurrency trading giant Binance using stablecoins. Subsequently, in May, it was reported that MGX was using WLF's newly launched USD1 stablecoin for its investments.

Overall, Trump and his family's cryptocurrency business has been a focal point of debate among many Democratic lawmakers, as they work with Republican colleagues to draft comprehensive legislation regulating the cryptocurrency industry.

Notably, the SEC currently has no direct jurisdiction over WLF.

During a press conference following the meeting, when asked whether general conflicts of interest in the Trump administration would affect the SEC's cryptocurrency regulation, Atkins stated that his agency has "work to do" and added that he cannot comment on any specific company or product.

"There are relevant regulations, so we will enforce those laws and investigate when necessary," Atkins said.

Since taking office in April this year, Atkins has adopted a markedly different approach to cryptocurrency regulation compared to his predecessor Gary Gensler. Gensler took a cautious stance toward cryptocurrency and filed lawsuits against several major crypto companies, stating that most cryptocurrencies are securities, while facing criticism for his "regulation through enforcement" approach.

Since April, Atkins has implemented several digital asset-friendly measures.

In June, Atkins announced that he had instructed his staff to consider an "innovation exemption," which he said would enable companies to quickly bring "on-chain products and services to market." On Tuesday, Atkins stated that he plans to implement this exemption by the end of the year.

At Thursday's Georgetown University conference, Atkins indicated that as part of the innovation exemption, the SEC is seeking to establish a "foundation" to define what constitutes a security.

"This is the foundational work we need to do so that lawyers can provide opinions and we can offer guidance to people, giving them clarity about what they have and thereby providing certainty," Atkins said.

Atkins has also launched an initiative called the "Crypto Project" to update the agency's existing digital asset rules. SEC staff have also issued statements on staking, including indicating that most proof-of-stake functions fall outside their jurisdiction, and later clarifying that certain liquid staking activities do not involve securities.