SEC Enforcement: 2025 in Review
January 28, 2026
In 2025, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) significantly shifted its approach to enforcement. With the start of the second term of the Trump Administration and the appointment of Paul Atkins as the SEC’s Chairman, the SEC refocused its priorities through the adoption of a “back-to-basics” approach to enforcement. Under this approach, the SEC has reoriented its investigations and enforcement efforts to focus on traditional cases of securities fraud while also aiming to ensure securities markets are fair, orderly, and efficient. In addition, the SEC has made significant changes to its approach to regulating crypto assets, adopting a deregulatory approach to the sector in an effort to help facilitate the development of the crypto assets market.