Trump Nominates Pro-Crypto Travis Hill to Lead FDIC Amid Broader Regulatory Shift

President Donald Trump has nominated Travis Hill, the current acting chair, to officially lead the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) for a five-year term. Hill's nomination, which has been sent to the Senate Banking Committee, signals a major push by the Trump administration to adopt more crypto-friendly policies within U.S. financial regulation.

Hill's Stance and the FDIC's Direction

Hill is known for advocating for clearer, more accommodating rules for the digital asset industry. Prior to his current role, he emphasized that the FDIC should provide more guidance on digital assets and tokenization.

Crucially, in March, he pushed back against claims that U.S. authorities were unfairly "debanking" companies with ties to cryptocurrency. He issued a letter clarifying that engaging with digital assets is a "permissible activity" for banks, stating his expectation that this would be one of many steps the FDIC takes to lay out a new framework for banks to engage with crypto while maintaining safety and soundness standards. Hill succeeds Martin Gruenberg, who resigned in January.

SEC Eyes Major Crypto Policy Overhaul

Hill's nomination comes as the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), under Chairman Paul Atkins, has unveiled a rulemaking agenda for the coming month that could lead to a broad overhaul of cryptocurrency regulations.

This shift is a significant win for the digital asset industry. The SEC plans include:

• Proposing new rules for the offer and sale of digital assets, possibly featuring exemptions and safe harbors.
• Clarifying how its broker-dealer rules apply to cryptocurrency firms.
• Considering amendments to permit the trading of cryptocurrencies on national securities exchanges and alternative trading systems.

Chairman Atkins stated that this agenda reflects a "renewed focus on supporting innovation, capital formation, market efficiency, and investor protection." The SEC is also looking to rationalize disclosure requirements and ease compliance burdens for public companies.

A "Crypto President" Legacy

These regulatory shifts align with Trump’s campaign pledge to be a "crypto president" and promote digital asset adoption. This is a sharp reversal from the previous Biden administration, whose regulators, including the SEC, had cracked down on the industry with numerous lawsuits against exchanges like Coinbase and Binance—cases that the Trump administration's SEC has since dropped.

While Hill's nomination is key, several other financial regulator positions remain vacant, including the chair of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and a Democratic commissioner's seat at the SEC.

October 2025, Cryptoniteuae