SEC Confirms Paul Atkins as SEC Chair, Publishes Fidelity Solana ETF Filing to Federal Register

Months following his initial nomination by President Trump, Paul Atkins has been confirmed as the Chairman of the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission).

Formerly the SEC Commissioner under George W. Bush, Atkins reportedly holds over $6M in crypto-related assets. However, Atkins will be legally required to divest said investments within 90 days of being named SEC Chair.

Meanwhile, the SEC has published Fidelity’s Solana ETF filing to the Federal Register, bringing the fund one step closer to approval.

Paul Atkins Crypto Exposure

On April 9, Trump-nominee Paul Atkins was confirmed as Chairman of the SEC, a critical role in establishing crypto regulation in the United States. 

Atkin’s confirmation has been well-received by the crypto industry, which suffered greatly under previous Chairman Gary Gensler’s regulation-by-enforcement approach, which saw numerous lawsuits served to companies like Binance, Coinbase, Ripple Labs, and Kraken.

Under Paul Atkins’ leadership, the crypto community expects clearer regulatory guidelines and the introduction of pro-crypto legislation that promotes, rather than suffocates, innovation within the industry.

Earlier this year, Fortune reported that pro-crypto SEC chair nominee Paul Atkins owned up to around $6M in crypto-related assets. Atkin’s held a board seat with Securitize, a RWA tokenization protocol backed by BlackRock, and held up to $500k equity in Anchorage Digital, a crypto custodian.

Additionally, Atkins is reportedly a limited partner with crypto investment firm Off The Chain Capital. However, at press time, Atkins is not listed among the company’s team on its official website. 

Since being confirmed as the SEC Chair, Atkins is now required to divest his crypto-related holdings within the next 90 days. In a March 20 document addressed to SEC Ethics Official Danae M. Serrano, Esq., Atkins outlined his plan to abolish any conflict of interest by stepping down from existing positions in financial companies, including Securitize, and divesting any contributions to investment funds and asset holdings.

Fidelity SOL ETF Filing Hits Federal Register

Elsewhere in the SEC, the agency has officially published Cboe BZX Exchange’s 19b-4 filing for a Solana ETF on behalf of Fidelity to the federal registry.

This represents a critical step forward in the approvals process, enabling the SEC to solicit feedback from both the general public and financial experts regarding the fund’s credibility. Odds of a Solana ETF being approved are high, with PolyMarket predicting an 81% chance of approval before the end of 2025.

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