The Art of the StealA project of the Save America Movement
Donate

★ Government Action

Trump's SEC crypto enforcement falls 60% in first year

Easing Up on Crypto

Filed January 2025$142,000,000

★ The Brief

What happened

In its first year under Trump-appointed chair Paul Atkins, the Securities and Exchange Commission sharply pulled back its policing of the crypto industry. The agency brought 13 cryptocurrency-related enforcement actions in 2025, down from 33 the year before — a 60% drop — and five of those 13 were carried over from cases filed before Gary Gensler stepped down as chair in January 2025. Financial penalties against crypto firms fell to $142 million, less than 3% of the total imposed in 2024.

Who enabled it

Paul AtkinsSecurities and Exchange Commission

Who benefits

Deal or steal?

This isn't neutral restraint. The president's family is now in the crypto business itself — it launched the World Liberty Financial platform and the $TRUMP memecoin — and the dropped cases line up with the industry's biggest Trump donors. The SEC dismissed its case against Coinbase ($1.75M to his campaign and inaugural), ended its Ripple suit ($4.89M to his inaugural), and closed its Robinhood probe ($2M). The 60% drop is the sum of decisions like these.

★ Cast your vote

In calendar year 2025, the SEC initiated 13 cryptocurrency-related enforcement actions, down from 33 in 2024 — a 60% decrease. Monetary penalties against digital-asset market participants totaled $142 million in 2025, representing less than 3% of the monetary penalties imposed in 2024. Five of the 13 actions were brought under outgoing Chair Gary Gensler prior to his departure in January 2025. The decline reflects a shift in enforcement priorities under Chair Paul Atkins, who assumed leadership of the agency in 2025.

Sources

Further reading