SEC’s Paul Atkins: Holding Your Own Crypto Is an American Right
BY
Ben Graham
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In a world where financial middlemen seem to grow by the day, one regulator is standing up and saying, maybe you don’t need them. SEC Chair Paul Atkins has made it clear that self-custody of crypto is not just a technical preference; it’s something much deeper. The right to self-custody means users can hold crypto without relying on banks, exchanges, or other third parties.
Not Your Keys, Not Your Coins… and That’s the Point
If you’ve spent any time in crypto, you’ve heard the phrase. But Atkins took that message out of the crypto echo chamber and into the halls of regulation. His comments at a recent policy roundtable struck a nerve by framing self-custody as a fundamental right tied to the American way of doing things. Not a perk. Not a luxury. A right.
The idea is simple. If you earn money, you should be able to hold it without begging a third party for access. That’s what self-custody wallets offer. No bank to approve your transactions. No exchange to lock you out. Just you and your private keys.
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The Regulator You Didn’t Expect to Say This
The SEC isn’t known for being the friendliest face in the room when it comes to crypto. For years, the agency has tangled with projects over everything from token launches to staking. So when its chair starts saying things that sound like they came from a Bitcoin forum, people pay attention.
Atkins didn’t just talk tech. He connected the dots between digital assets and classic American values. He brought up ideas like self-reliance and private property, drawing a straight line from the founding principles of the country to modern-day financial tools.
Lawmakers Are Watching Too
This all comes at a time when Congress is weighing different crypto bills. Some are trying to make things safer. Others, intentionally or not, could end up boxing people out of using self-custody wallets altogether.
Atkins’ message throws weight behind the idea that people shouldn’t need permission to store their assets. It’s a nudge to lawmakers to think twice before regulating these tools out of reach for everyday users.
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Could This Actually Change Things?
It might. When the chair of the SEC says something like this, it sets a tone. It doesn’t mean every law or rule is going to change overnight, but it signals where the conversation could go. And if that conversation starts happening in Washington with this kind of language, it makes it harder to push blanket restrictions without serious backlash.
Final Thoughts
In an industry that exposes users to hacks, exchange blowups, and regulatory confusion, Paul Atkins just gave a boost to something crypto users have been saying all along. Holding your own money isn’t radical. It’s responsible. And it might be one of the last things left that truly puts the power back in your hands.
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Key Takeaways
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