Trump selects two candidates who could determine the future of big tech and cryptocurrencies.

Donald Trump, the president-elect, made two nominations on Wednesday that could influence key areas of technology enforcement in his administration, assuming they are confirmed by the Senate. His candidate to lead the Securities and Exchange Commission is Paul Atkins, a former Republican commissioner, who will replace Biden's appointee, Gary Gensler, known for his opposition to cryptocurrencies. Atkins' selection, who co-chairs the Token Alliance in the Digital Chamber, suggests a dramatic shift compared to the Biden administration's cryptocurrency policy. According to Trump, Atkins "recognizes that digital assets and other innovations are essential to making America greater than ever."

Additionally, Trump has chosen Gail Slater to head the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice, which is currently involved in two antitrust lawsuits against Google and a third against Apple, and is also investigating Nvidia, an artificial intelligence chip manufacturer. Slater has experience at the Federal Trade Commission and in the National Economic Council under Trump, and most recently served as economic policy advisor to elected Vice President JD Vance in his Senate office. She has also worked at companies like Fox, Roku, and the now-defunct Internet Association, which included several major tech companies.

In his announcement on Truth Social, Trump refers to "Big Tech," expressing that it has "acted unchecked for years, stifling competition in our most innovative sector and using its market power to restrict the rights of many Americans, as well as those of 'Little Tech'." This term, "Little Tech," is a concept promoted by venture capitalist and cryptocurrency advocate Marc Andreessen, who has argued for a distinction between policies favoring startups versus tech giants.

Slater, for her part, has worked collaboratively with members of both parties and served as a legal advisor to former Democratic FTC Commissioner Julie Brill, who is currently Microsoft’s Chief Privacy Officer. Her experience with Vance, who has publicly praised the FTC Chair Lina Khan's aggressive approach to technology, suggests that large tech companies will continue to face antitrust scrutiny in the coming years.