SEC’s new chief, Paul Atkins, recently dropped a bombshell during an interview at the New York Stock Exchange—he believes that the global on-chain financial assets revolution could become a reality within just a few years, moving from concept to implementation. This isn’t some far-off science fiction scenario—it’s a trend that’s already underway.

Tokenized securities, T+0 real-time settlement, loosening regulatory frameworks for stablecoins—these changes are reshaping the foundational logic of traditional finance. Once on-chain infrastructure matures, asset circulation efficiency will see a qualitative leap.

What does this mean for the crypto market? First, the narrative of BTC as a safe-haven asset will become even more solid. Second, DeFi protocols and the RWA (Real World Assets) sector are likely to experience explosive growth—after all, traditional assets going on-chain will need bridges, and these infrastructure projects will be direct beneficiaries. Stablecoin-related projects will also see greater development opportunities as regulatory clarity increases.

**Who is Atkins? Why are his statements significant?**

On April 22 this year, Paul Atkins officially took over as SEC Chairman. He has a unique background: not only is he a veteran lawyer in the crypto space, but also an experienced investor. Within just six months of taking office, he upgraded the previously low-profile “Crypto Task Force” to “Project Crypto”—a clear sign of his commitment.

More importantly, his stance is clearly pro-innovation. He has publicly criticized the former SEC administration for “overregulation” and has promoted an “innovation exemption” policy—allowing companies to obtain regulatory approval for small-scale pilot projects before scaling up. This approach is a substantial boon for the industry.

On December 3, he stated bluntly on FOX’s “Mornings with Maria” that the core advantages of tokenization are transparency and efficiency. With T+0 settlement replacing the current T+1 model, trading risk could be reduced by 90%. Wall Street was left somewhat stunned by these remarks, but the crypto community has already sensed a historic opportunity in the RWA sector.

From a policy signaling perspective, the compliance pathway for on-chain finance is opening up. The question now is not “if” it will happen, but “who can seize the window of opportunity.”