Overview
- A New York Times analysis reported by the Boston Globe found the SEC eased up on more than 60% of crypto cases that were pending when President Trump returned to office.
- Since Trump’s return, the SEC has not brought a new crypto case even as it continued filing many other types of enforcement actions.
- The agency is no longer actively pursuing any case against firms with known ties to Trump, with remaining crypto matters focused on lesser-known defendants without clear connections.
- SEC leadership, including Chair Paul S. Atkins, rejects claims of political favoritism and says the pivot reflects legal limits and an end to what it calls “regulation by enforcement.”
- Career enforcement staff have voiced alarm about investor protection, and senior SEC trial counsel Christopher E. Martin retired after a dropped crypto suit, underscoring internal dissent.