Quick Breakdown
- Brian Quintenz released texts with Tyler Winklevoss, claiming they tried to sway his stance on CFTC enforcement.
- He suggested the twins later urged Trump to pause his nomination.
- The disclosures come just before Gemini’s $3 billion IPO, potentially influencing investor confidence.
Brian Quintenz, former CFTC commissioner and President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the agency, has released text messages with Gemini founders Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss. The move comes just days before Gemini’s planned $3 billion initial public offering (IPO).
Quintenz Raises Concerns of Interference
On Wednesday, Quintenz posted on X that he decided to make the messages public over fears that Trump “might have been misled” regarding his nomination. The texts, dated July 25, appeared to show Tyler Winklevoss sharing details of Gemini’s $5 million settlement with the CFTC earlier this year.
I’ve never been inclined to release private messages. But in light of my support for the President and belief that he might have been misled, I’ve posted here the messages that include the questions Tyler Winklevoss asked me pertaining to their prior litigation with the CFTC.
— Brian Quintenz (@BrianQuintenz) September 10, 2025
“The CFTC totally abused the deliberative process privilege amongst many other abuses to prevent us from even be [sic] able to defend ourselves fairly in court,”
Winklevoss texted to Quintenz on July 25.
Winklevoss accused the regulator of “abusing the deliberative process privilege” to prevent the exchange from properly defending itself. Quintenz said the brothers sought assurances that he would address what they described as the CFTC’s “lawfare trophy hunting.” He claimed he refused to give such guarantees.
Gemini Founders Allegedly Reached Out to Trump
Quintenz suggested that after the exchange, the Winklevoss twins contacted the White House and urged Trump to halt his confirmation process. Reports later indicated that Trump’s team pressed the Senate Agriculture Committee to delay its scheduled questioning of Quintenz before the August recess.
“I believe these texts make it clear what they were after from me, and what I refused to promise,”
Quintenz wrote.
However, nearly every major digital asset trade group in Washington is throwing its weight behind Quintenz’s nomination as the next chairman of the CFTC, pressing the White House to break through a confirmation logjam that has already derailed two Senate committee votes.
Fallout as Gemini Prepares $3B IPO
The timing of the disclosures is significant, coming less than 48 hours before Gemini is expected to debut on the public markets. While the firm is targeting a $3 billion valuation, it remains uncertain whether the texts will affect investor sentiment toward the exchange.
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