On March 27, SEC Chairman Paul Atkins, nominated by President Trump, was revealed to hold up to $6 million in crypto-related assets, sparking strong protests from Senator Elizabeth Warren. Warren emphasized in her Sunday letter to Paul Atkins that his background as a financial industry advisor and lobbyist could create "significant conflicts of interest" if appointed. Warren urged Paul Atkins to mitigate these potential conflicts by recusing himself from any SEC matters involving his former clients and agreeing not to lobby, consult, or work for any companies in the SEC-regulated industry for at least four years after leaving the agency. Her letter demanded Atkins provide a written response by Thursday.

According to Reuters, Atkins' recent financial disclosure shows his family wealth is up to $328 million, primarily from his wife's family connection to roofing supply giant TAMKO Building Products. His risk advisory firm, Patomak Global Partners, is valued between $25 million and $50 million. His crypto-related assets are worth up to $6 million, including $1 million in equity in crypto custody company Anchorage Digital and tokenization company Securitize (Atkins served as a director at Securitize until February). He holds up to $5 million in shares in crypto investment firm Off the Chain Capital, of which he is a limited partner. Off the Chain's investments include private shares in major crypto companies like Digital Currency Group (DCG) and Kraken, as well as Mt. Gox bankruptcy claims. Atkins pledged to divest from Off the Chain Capital within 120 days of confirmation. According to the same document, he has also resigned from the boards of the Digital Chamber and Digital Chamber Token Alliance.