The Trump administration is said to be weighing fresh options for the top job at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) as Brian Quintenz’s stalled confirmation continues to drag on.
Names reportedly under consideration include Michael Selig, chief counsel to the SEC’s crypto task force and a former asset management lawyer, as well as Tyler Williams, a Treasury counselor on digital asset policy who previously worked at Galaxy Digital. The CFTC did not immediately respond to Cointelegraph’s request for comment.
Quintenz’s nomination hit turbulence in July after Gemini co-founder Tyler Winklevoss urged Donald Trump to pull back, citing anger over what he described as the Biden administration’s “lawfare” against his company. Following the appeal, the White House asked the Senate to delay the confirmation vote.
Earlier this month, Quintenz suggested Trump “may have been misled” by the Winklevoss twins, posting private message screenshots on X. The Wall Street Journal later framed the episode as the twins “flexing their Washington influence,” noting their multimillion-dollar donations to Trump’s campaign.
The leadership vacuum comes at a pivotal time for the CFTC. Acting chair Caroline Pham is the only commissioner left following a string of resignations, even as Congress considers legislation that could hand the agency broader authority over crypto markets.
While the White House has not formally withdrawn Quintenz’s nomination, discussions around alternative candidates have reportedly gained momentum in recent weeks.
Promoting crypto growth
The CFTC has recently taken steps to support the expansion of the crypto industry in the US, including permitting offshore exchanges to serve American customers under its “crypto sprint” program.
In August, the agency also introduced a framework to allow trading of “spot crypto asset contracts” on CFTC-registered futures markets.
With a pro-crypto leader at the helm, the Commission would likely continue driving forward legislation and policies favorable to the digital asset sector.
