President Donald Trump is reportedly set to nominate Brian Quintenz, a key figure in the cryptocurrency policy space, as the next chair of the United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
According to Bloomberg, citing a White House document sent to Capitol Hill, Quintenz’s appointment could reshape the regulatory landscape for digital assets. If confirmed, he is expected to advocate for pro-crypto policies and position the CFTC as the primary regulator of digital assets, potentially challenging the jurisdiction of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Quintenz, who currently serves as the head of policy for the crypto-focused division of venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), is no stranger to the CFTC. He previously held a commissioner role at the agency from 2016 to 2020 during Trump’s first term, where he championed the integration of digital asset derivatives into the U.S. regulatory framework.
More recently, Quintenz has been an outspoken critic of the SEC’s approach to cryptocurrency regulation, particularly regarding Ether (ETH). In March 2024, he condemned SEC Chair Gary Gensler’s stance, arguing that the agency’s approval of Ether futures ETFs in 2023 should have definitively classified ETH as a non-security.
Trump’s reported nominations also include Jonathan Gould, a partner at Jones Day, as the next Comptroller of the Currency, overseeing national banks. Additionally, Jonathan McKernan, who resigned from the FDIC on February 11, has been tapped to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).
These moves suggest a realignment of regulatory priorities in Washington, particularly regarding crypto oversight. a16z has previously expressed optimism about a Trump-led administration bringing “greater flexibility to experiment” in the crypto sector.
Notably, Trump appointed venture capitalist David Sacks, co-founder of Craft Ventures, as the first-ever White House AI and Crypto Czar.
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