Ripple CEO praises SEC chair Paul Atkins as pro-innovation

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse praised the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Paul Atkins, calling him a “breath of fresh air and sanity.” Garlinghouse contrasted Atkins’ approach with the enforcement-heavy stance under former SEC Chair Gary Gensler, saying the SEC “lost its way” and that courts described Gensler’s actions as an “unlawful power grab.” The Ripple executive said the SEC’s mission is to protect investors, but argued the regulator should stop fighting innovation and instead support emerging technology. He also reiterated Ripple’s broader criticism of Gensler’s anti-crypto posture, echoing earlier remarks that Gensler harmed the SEC’s integrity. During a recent CNBC interview, Atkins said the SEC has pivoted from “regulation through enforcement” toward embracing new innovative technologies rather than fending them off. This shift matters for Ripple because the company has previously been involved in a multi-year SEC legal battle over the status of XRP. Keywords for traders: SEC leadership change, regulatory regime shift, and potential sentiment tailwind for XRP. While the article does not announce new enforcement outcomes or rule changes, it frames a more constructive posture that could reduce perceived regulatory risk around Ripple and XRP.