Brian Quintenz, a former CFTC commissioner, is predicted to rejoin the company after his choice by President Donald Trump, based on a number of media stories citing a White Home doc from Tuesday.
Quintenz’s tenure as Chairman and Commissioner will finish on April 13, 2029, following rumors in December that Trump was contemplating Quintenz amongst different candidates. In the meantime, Rostin Behnam will take over as Vice Chair, succeeding Christy Goldsmith Romero.
Quintenz, who at present heads crypto coverage on the crypto arm of enterprise capital big Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), beforehand served as a Republican commissioner on the CFTC from 2017 to 2021.
His nomination might sign a pivot towards extra crypto-friendly oversight of the $400 trillion derivatives market alongside different latest picks, together with Treasurer Scott Bessent.
A16z crypto, the enterprise capital agency’s crypto arm, has energetic investments in a portfolio that features Solana, Uniswap, Story, Lido, Optimism, Farcaster, and EigenLayer, amongst others.
Throughout his earlier CFTC tenure, Quintenz emerged as one in all crypto’s strongest advocates in Washington, usually drawing comparisons to SEC Commissioner Hester “Crypto Mother” Peirce for his pro-innovation stance.
In 2022, Decrypt interviewed Quintenz, the place he spoke concerning the “regulatory landgrab” between the SEC and CFTC on the time.
“A few of these issues are true, however when you have well-tailored, appropriately calibrated regulation, the final word consequence could possibly be massive liquid markets with very robust integrity that change into world entry factors for threat administration, hedging alternatives, and worth discovery,” Quintenz stated on the time.
The choice comes amid broader strikes by the Trump administration to reshape crypto regulation.
Trump’s newly appointed AI and Crypto Czar, David Sacks, has shared plans to work with Congress on new “market construction” laws that will profit the trade.
“I believe there is a fairly good likelihood we are able to get this carried out within the subsequent six months,” Sacks stated on an “All-In” podcast.
The crypto trade has lengthy pushed for CFTC jurisdiction as an alternative of SEC oversight, viewing the derivatives regulator as extra amenable to digital asset innovation.
A16z didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark about Quintenz’s nomination.
Edited by Sebastian Sinclair
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