David Edwards
The front-runner for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) chair is Brian Quintenz, Head of Policy at Andreessen Horowitz’s (a16z) crypto division. President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team just wrapped up interviews for the position, and Quintenz was positioned as a front-runner, according to a Bloomberg story.
Quintenz is at the vanguard of an area that is becoming more and more important to U.S. financial oversight because of his knowledge of digital asset regulation and policy. Quintenz, a former CFTC Commissioner both the Obama and Trump administrations, was instrumental in the introduction of the first fully regulated Ethereum and Bitcoin futures contracts. His present advising position at a16z is centered on influencing cryptocurrency regulation and encouraging investment in the industry.
Quintenz has been actively participating in discussions about crypto policy with David Sacks, Trump’s recently designated AI and Crypto Czar, according to those close to the Trump transition team. Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, co-founders of a16z, strongly endorse his nomination.
Quintenz’s extensive knowledge of cryptocurrency markets is a significant advantage because the CFTC is anticipated to play a significant role in the regulatory environment of digital assets under the Trump administration. Trump’s appointment of Paul Atkins to head the SEC may be followed by a statement about the choice of the CFTC chair.
Quintenz is still the front-runner, but other applicants are being considered, including former officials Joshua Sterling and Neal Kumar, as well as current CFTC Commissioners Summer Mersinger and Caroline Pham.
