SEC Chairman-elect Paul Atkins discloses assets: Holds over $327 million in total assets with his wife, faces conflict of interest concerns before confirmation hearing

The nominee for the chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Paul Atkins, nominated by U.S. President Trump, disclosed on the eve of his Senate confirmation hearing that he and his wife Sarah Humphreys jointly hold assets totaling at least $327 million, raising concerns about his future fairness in regulating the cryptocurrency industry. His wife's family, the Humphreys, owns 75% of Tamko, a roofing materials company founded by her grandfather. Atkins himself holds membership interests worth between $25 million and $50 million in Patomak Global Partners, a consulting firm he founded. Atkins' investments in crypto include bullish options on Securitize's real asset tokenization platform valued at between $250k to $500k; shares in fintech company Pontoro worth between $50k to $100k. Previously Atkins promised if nominated he would resign as CEO of Patomak and sell related shares. Democratic anti-crypto Senator Elizabeth Warren asked Atkins to explain "deep ties with FTX and other high-income crypto clients". Prior to taking office as White House Cryptocurrency and AI Director David Sacks sold over 200m dollars’ worth of crypto-related stocks which sparked similar controversy before him. Former SEC Chairman Gary Gensler was known for tough regulation; after leaving office in January 2024 Mark Uyeda took over as acting chairman. If appointed, Atkins' deep traditional financial background combined with his history investing in cryptocurrencies could reshape SEC regulatory logic.The Senate Banking Committee hearing is scheduled for March 27th where Atkin’s appointment process will determine SEC’s regulatory tone for next four years.