Tornado mixer dropped from US blacklist  

Former US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) member Paul Atkins is scheduled to appear before lawmakers in the Senate Banking Committee on March 27 as part of the Trump administration’s efforts to get the president’s picks into high-level government positions.Since US President Donald Trump took office on Jan. 20, the SEC, under the leadership of acting chair Mark Uyeda, has dropped several investigations and enforcement actions against major crypto firms, many of which had been in court for months or years. Many analysts see the SEC’s recent actions as the administration acting on its campaign promises to the crypto industry, of which some figures donated directly to the then-presidential candidate or his inauguration fund after the Nov. 5 election.The commission’s actions — which include declaring that memecoins aren’t securities —  also stand in stark contrast to its position under former chair Gary Gensler, leading many to speculate that the SEC under Trump will lead to a booming US crypto industry essentially free of regulatory scrutiny. Atkins, whom Trump picked in December 2024 and officially nominated after taking office, received support from industry players at Coinbase and Ripple, both of which had ongoing enforcement actions brought by the SEC. The cases have since been dropped.Given the SEC’s seeming about-face on crypto enforcement and Trump’s potential conflicts of interest with the industry — with ties to the crypto firm World Liberty Financial and the launch of his own memecoin — some lawmakers are likely to question Atkins’ views on digital assets at the confirmation hearing. If confirmed by the Senate, Atkins could return to a soon-to-be entirely Republican-controlled SEC, with Democratic Commissioner Caroline Crenshaw expected to leave by 2026.It’s unclear if Atkins will have the votes to pass a confirmation hearing in the banking committee or a full floor vote in the Senate. Republicans hold a 53-seat majority in the chamber with only 51 votes required to confirm a nominee, and — with the exception of former Representative Matt Gaetz for US Attorney General — have not suggested that they intend to oppose any of Trump’s picks for crucial government positions.Democratic opposition to Atkins’ nominationMassachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, the top Democrat on the banking committee who has often equated crypto with drug trafficking and other illicit actions, said in a March 23 letter to Atkins that she had concerns about his potential role at the SEC after his consulting firm, Patomak Global Partners, was an adviser to defunct crypto exchange FTX. He was also an adviser to the advocacy group Chamber of Digital Commerce. “Your deep involvement with FTX and other high-paying crypto clients raises questions about your approach to crypto regulation — and concerns about the extent of your knowledge of FTX’s illegal activities,” said Warren, adding: “Your financial ties to the industries you will soon regulate raise serious concerns about your ability to avoid conflicts of interest as a regulator.”Warren suggested that some members of the Senate would likely question Trump’s pick about the SEC recently dropping enforcement cases against crypto firms, reports that Trump’s family had held talks with Binance about acquiring a stake in the company as well as a possible pardon for former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao, how Atkins intends to apply securities laws to digital assets if confirmed, and the commission’s recent opinion that memecoins were not securities. She hinted that Atkins may have also communicated with Republican SEC commissioners Uyeda and Hester Peirce after being nominated.Related: SEC is waiting for a chair before setting crypto agenda — Hester PeirceAhead of his hearing, Atkins has already met with Republican lawmakers on the committee, including Wyoming Senator Cynthia Lummis. Cointelegraph contacted Lummis’ office for comment on Atkins’ nomination but hadn’t received a response at the time of publication.If his nomination moves through the Banking Committee and the Senate, Atkins would likely be confirmed to a term ending in June 2031, taking over as chair from Uyeda. In addition to the commission dropping investigations and enforcement actions, the SEC acting chair has proposed abandoning rules requiring crypto firms to register with the agency.Magazine: Ripple says SEC lawsuit ‘over,’ Trump at DAS, and more: Hodler’s Digest, March 16 – 22

The acting chair of the US Securities and Exchange Commission has reportedly voted against the agency suing Elon Musk over the billionaire’s alleged securities violations concerning the disclosure of Twitter stocks. Citing anonymous sources, Reuters reported on March 24 that the SEC’s five commissioners conducted a vote on whether to sue Musk or not before the agency filed its lawsuit against the billionaire. Four commissioners voted in favor, while the lone dissent came from Mark Uyeda, who was appointed acting chair by US President Donald Trump on Jan. 20. SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce voted along with three other commissioners to sue Musk. Uyeda and Peirce are known for their dissenting opinions on the SEC’s enforcement actions against the crypto industry during former SEC Chair Gary Gensler’s time in office.SEC lawsuit against Elon MuskIn 2022, Elon Musk bought Twitter for $44 billion and rebranded the social media platform to X. After the acquisition, the SEC began investigating whether Musk violated any securities laws as he acquired the platform. The SEC filed a lawsuit on Jan. 14 alleging that Musk failed to disclose his purchase of Twitter shares within the required 10-day window after surpassing the 5% ownership threshold. The agency said Musk delayed the disclosure by 11 days, allowing him to continue acquiring shares at lower prices, ultimately saving an estimated $150 million.Related: Musk says he found ‘magic money computers’ printing money ‘out of thin air’Elon Musk claps back at “broken” organizationMusk’s lawyer, Alex Spiro, previously told Cointelegraph that the SEC’s action is an “admission” that it cannot bring an actual case. Meanwhile, Musk described the SEC as a “totally broken organization” on X, saying “so many actual crimes” go unpunished. Around a month after the lawsuit was filed, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a US government agency led by Musk, set its sights on the SEC. On Feb. 17, a page affiliated with DOGE called on the public to disclose any “waste, fraud and abuse” related to the SEC. Musk also shared the post to his over 200 million followers on X. A court filing indicates Musk has until April 4 to respond to the lawsuit. Meanwhile, President Trump has issued an executive order calling for a review of what he calls politically motivated investigations at the SEC and other federal agencies under the previous administration.Magazine: Memecoins are ded — But Solana ‘100x better’ despite revenue plunge

Michael Saylor’s Strategy has acquired over $500 million worth of Bitcoin as institutional interest and exchange-traded fund (ETF) inflows make a comeback.Strategy acquired 6,911 Bitcoin (BTC) for over $584 million between March 17 and March 23 at an average price of $84,529 per coin, according to a March 24 filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Source: US SECFollowing the latest acquisition, the company now holds more than 500,000 Bitcoin, with a total of 506,137 Bitcoin acquired at an aggregate purchase price of roughly $33.7 billion and an average purchase price of approximately $66,608 per Bitcoin, inclusive of fees and expenses.The milestone comes a day after Strategy co-founder Michael Saylor hinted at an impending Bitcoin investment after the company announced the pricing of its latest tranche of preferred stock on March 21.The preferred stock was sold at $85 per share and featured a 10% coupon. According to Strategy, the offering should bring the company approximately $711 million in revenue.Related: Michael Saylor’s Strategy to raise up to $21B to purchase more Bitcoin