Cryptocurrency proponent Paul Atkins has become a popular candidate for SEC chairperson

US President-elect Donald Trump's transition team has interviewed veteran financial regulator and behind-the-scenes figure in the conservative financial world, Paul Atkins, as a candidate to head the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), according to people familiar with the matter. Atkins is the top contender to succeed outgoing Gensler, the people said. Trump is expected to make a choice in the coming days, and no decision has been made yet, they said. Atkins served as an SEC commissioner during the George W. Bush administration, after which he founded Patomak Global Partners, a firm that advises major financial industry clients. He is a strong supporter of digital assets and fintech companies. He also testified before Congress on how to restructure the agency's operations and reduce regulations that some in the industry consider duplicative or too onerous.