BlockBeats News, March 26th. According to Cointelegraph, ahead of the Senate confirmation hearing for Paul Atkins, the nominee for Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) chairman appointed by President Trump, it was revealed that he and his wife, Sarah Humphreys, collectively hold assets worth at least $327 million, raising concerns about the future fairness of his regulation of the cryptocurrency industry. Humphreys' family owns 75% of the roofing materials company Tamko (founded by her grandfather), while Atkins himself holds $25 million to $50 million in membership interests in his consulting firm, Patomak Global Partners. Atkins' investments in the crypto field include a call option on the real asset tokenization platform Securitize, valued at $250,000 to $500,000, and a stake in the fintech company Pontoro, with holdings of $50,000 to $100,000. Atkins previously pledged that if confirmed, he would resign from his CEO position at Patomak and divest related equity.

Democratic anti-crypto Senator Elizabeth Warren has called on Atkins to explain his "deep ties to FTX and other high-income crypto clients." Previously, White House crypto and AI chief David Sacks sold over $200 million in crypto-related stocks before taking office, sparking similar controversies. Former SEC Chairman Gary Gensler, known for his tough regulation, stepped down in January 2024 and was temporarily replaced by Mark Uyeda. If Atkins assumes the role, his deep background in traditional finance and his crypto investment history may reshape the SEC's regulatory approach. The Senate Banking Committee hearing is scheduled for March 27th, and Atkins' confirmation process will determine the SEC's regulatory direction for the next four years.