Mark Uyeda, a current Commissioner of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), has been named acting SEC chair following the resignation of Gary Gensler.
Uyeda will hold the position until the Senate confirms President Donald Trump’s nominee, former SEC Commissioner Paul Atkins, as the permanent chair.
The White House announced on Jan. 20 that Uyeda will temporarily take on the role until Atkins' confirmation process is complete. A Republican, Uyeda joined the SEC in 2022 after being nominated by former President Joe Biden.
The acting SEC chair has been a vocal advocate for a more open regulatory approach to digital assets, often collaborating with Commissioner Hester Peirce to call for reduced enforcement actions targeting the crypto industry.
Paul Atkins, Trump's pick for the SEC's top position, was formally nominated to the Senate shortly after Trump's inauguration. Atkins previously served as an SEC Commissioner and has ties to cryptocurrency through his work in a Washington-based consulting firm. His confirmation timeline remains unclear as the Senate deliberations.
Uyeda’s term as acting SEC chair is expected to last until June 5, 2026, when Gensler officially steps down or until Atkins assumes the role permanently. Meanwhile, Trump has also appointed Atkins as an SEC member in an interim capacity.
On the same day, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) announced that its Chairman, Rostin Behnam, has resigned. Caroline Pham, a CFTC Commissioner known for her crypto-friendly stance, has been named Acting Chairwoman of the agency.