New SEC Boss and Ripple’s Lawyer: Drama, Déjà Vu & a Dash of Legal Wit 🍸

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Ah, the Securities and Exchange Commission, freshly outfitted with a new chairman—Paul Atkins, who entered the scene on April 22 like a dashing hero in a rather dull regulatory drama. His inaugural speech? A charming blend of political jazz and that curious phrase: “a new day.” How original, darling.

But wait! Just days prior, Ripple’s chief legal eagle, Stuart Alderoty, had floated the very same poetic pearl—“a new day.” Coincidence or cunning legal choreography? One suspects the latter, as Alderoty, ever the maestro of measured understatement, didn’t miss a beat in connecting his verbal overture with Atkins’ debut chorus.

Small moment? Hardly. It was the kind of symmetry that would make even Noël Coward raise a perfectly arched eyebrow and murmur, “Well played.” After all, our dear Alderoty is still basking in the slightly glimmering glow of Ripple’s recent courtroom skirmish victory, making his recycled phrase all the more delicious.

Great minds? Well, at least one for sure—his.

— Stuart Alderoty (@s_alderoty) April 23, 2025

So, what should one expect from this new sheriff in the SEC saloon? Atkins, unlike his predecessor Gary Gensler—whose reign was more “law enforcement thriller” than “regulatory romance”—promises clarity, decorum, and a return to the “mission fundamentals” (yawn, but necessary). Investor protection is back on the menu, sans the dramatics.

Meanwhile, the industry twiddles its thumbs, eyes fixed on the 70+ crypto ETF applications gathering dust. Will Atkins breathe life into this bureaucratic slumber? Or is this “new day” just an encore with slightly better lighting? Time, dear friends, will tell.

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2025-04-23 18:09