SEC selects four new officials with crypto experience

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announced four senior appointments on Friday, including two officials with experience in crypto. The initiative signals a friendlier approach to digital assets by the Commission under Chairman Paul Atkins.

According to the SEC, Jamie Selway will take over the role of Director of the Division of Trading and Markets as of June 17. Effective June 8, Brian T. Daly will assume the role of Director of the Division of Investment.

SEC eyes crypto veterans for positions

This is a really big deal for the regulated ‘Blockchain’ sector.

⁦@SECGov⁩: Names Jamie Selway (@JSelway3⁩) as Director of Trading & Markets

Many issues related to ‘Crypto’ are the concern of ⁦@FINRA⁩ or ⁦@CFTC⁩

Great appointment! https://t.co/24lfnOavvL

— Dave Hendricks (@davehendricks) June 13, 2025

Daly joins the agency from Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, where he was a partner in the company’s investment management practice. According to his official biography, he has experience in digital assets, cryptocurrencies, blockchain, and traditional financial services, including hedge and credit funds.

The Financial Times previously quoted Daly regarding the SEC’s decision to reverse a Biden administration guidance known as SAB 121, which called for banks to treat digital assets held for customers as liabilities on balance sheets. He argued that the old rule allowed all the responsible bank broker-dealers and financial intermediaries the sector relies on to be crypto custodians. He also noted that custody services were a predicate to everything for financial institutions when offering crypto services to customers.

Daly said he was optimistic about the new SEC day and eager to work with Chairman Atkins and other colleagues. He aims to ensure regulatory compliance with investment advisers and fund managers while tailoring rule-making within the SEC’s statutory authority.

The SEC acknowledged that Selway previously served as a partner at Sohron Advisors, advising clients on capital markets issues. According to his LinkedIn profile, he also served as an advisor to multiple financial technology companies and was briefly the global head of institutional markets at Blockchain[dot]com from 2018 to 2019.

“Chairman Atkins is bringing about a new day at the SEC. I thank him for selecting me to lead Trading and Markets at this exciting and pivotal time. Together, we will promote the SEC’s mission and enable innovation to the benefit of our nation’s investors.”

–Jamie Selway.

The regulator also announced on Friday that Erik Hotmire will return as chief external affairs officer and director of public affairs, effective June 16, 2025. Atkins believes Hotmire’s experience will help market participants and investors understand the SEC’s priorities and actions clearly. He previously served as former senior advisor and spokesman to the then-SEC chair Christopher Cox and senior advisor to the SEC’s Division of Enforcement.

Kurt Hohl has been named chief accountant, with nearly 40 years of accounting and auditing experience, effective July 7. The agency said acting chief accountant Ryan Wolfe will return to his role as chief accountant in the Division of Enforcement. Holh has also served as acting chief accountant since January 2025 and also concurrently served as chief accountant of the Division of Enforcement.

Atkins aims for friendlier approach towards crypto

Atkins was sworn in as the agency’s new chairman on April 22, three months after former chair Gary Gensler left the post. Since assuming his position, he has promised a friendlier approach to digital assets.

The SEC held its inaugural Crypto Task Force roundtable in March to debate the future regulation of digital assets. A16z crypto General Counsel Miles Jennings said at the time that he doesn’t think anyone could credibly argue that the last administration’s approach to the industry accomplished any of the SEC’s objectives. He also highlighted that it did not lead to investor protection, capital formation, or efficient markets.

Miles urged the agency to do better because its approach at the time was clearly a failure. He said Gensler had been more wary of the industry, calling most cryptocurrencies securities and bringing many charges against big crypto players. 

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