SEC Chairman Paul Atkin on regulating private markets, rise of stock tokenization

Market Dynamics & Regulatory Landscape - Public markets have long been discussed for their benefits, but private markets also hold many companies, leading to the idea of public access to private markets [2] - The IPO market, once a primary way for companies to raise capital, has been overshadowed by robust private markets due to capital availability and impediments to being a public company [4][5] - The SEC aims to make IPOs more attractive by addressing red tape and impediments, with a focus on improving disclosure to make it more understandable and less driven by potential lawsuits [8][9] Investor Access & Protection - There's a debate on whether to make being a public company more attractive or to make private markets more accessible and transparent to the public [6] - The SEC will review rules regarding accredited investors, considering tweaking them due to investor demand for private products, while ensuring investors understand the risks involved [11] - Tokenization of assets, particularly private company shares like SpaceX, is seen as an innovation, but the SEC needs to provide clear regulations to foster innovation while ensuring investor protection [2][15][17] Innovation & Efficiency - The SEC aims to provide a firm regulatory foundation for innovation and new product development, moving away from regulation through enforcement [16][17] - Tokenization and other innovations can enhance trading and holding securities, potentially leading to quicker settlement times, building upon the move to T+1 settlement [18][19] - Digitization of securities and book entry, exemplified by the DTCC, was a significant advancement, and tokenization represents the next step towards greater market efficiency [20]