TLDR
- Brian Quintenz, currently policy chief at a16z, has been selected by Donald Trump to be the permanent chairman of the CFTC
- Quintenz previously served as CFTC Commissioner from 2017 to 2021 and has been an advocate for crypto innovation
- The appointment is supported by Acting CFTC Chair Caroline Pham, who worked with Quintenz on past initiatives
- His term as Chairman would end on April 13, 2029, with Rostin Behnam becoming Vice Chair
- The CFTC is currently launching a crypto pilot program with major firms like Circle, Ripple, Coinbase, and Crypto.com
Brian Quintenz, the current head of policy at Andreessen Horowitz’s crypto division (a16z), has been chosen by President Donald Trump to lead the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) as its permanent chairman, according to sources familiar with the matter.
The selection of Quintenz comes at a time when the regulatory agency is expanding its involvement in cryptocurrency oversight. While the White House has not yet made an official announcement, CFTC officials have confirmed the appointment internally.
Quintenz brings relevant experience to the role, having previously served as a CFTC Commissioner from 2017 to 2021. During his tenure, he earned a reputation as an advocate for digital asset derivatives and event contracts, positions he continued to champion in his role at a16z.
🚨SCOOP: Three sources with direct knowledge of the matter tell me that @realDonaldTrump has chosen @BrianQuintenz, current Head of Policy at @a16z crypto and a former commissioner, to be permanent chair of the @CFTC.
No official statement from the @WhiteHouse yet, but officials…
— Eleanor Terrett (@EleanorTerrett) February 12, 2025
The appointment has received support from Acting CFTC Chair Caroline D. Pham, who worked alongside Quintenz during his previous time at the commission. Pham expressed confidence in Quintenz’s ability to lead the agency, particularly in matters related to crypto and innovation.
If confirmed, Quintenz would serve until April 13, 2029. The leadership transition also includes Rostin Behnam taking over as Vice Chair, replacing Christy Goldsmith Romero.
The timing of Quintenz’s selection aligns with the CFTC’s recent announcement of a crypto pilot program. The initiative, which will include participation from major crypto firms such as Circle, Ripple, Coinbase, and Crypto.com, focuses on exploring tokenized non-cash collateral, including stablecoins.
The pilot program builds on earlier proposals by Acting Chair Pham, who envisioned creating a regulatory sandbox to provide clearer guidelines for the crypto industry while maintaining necessary oversight measures.
During his time at a16z, Quintenz has overseen crypto policy for the venture capital firm, which maintains active investments in various crypto projects including Solana, Uniswap, Story, Lido, Optimism, Farcaster, and EigenLayer.
Crypto Regulation
The selection of Quintenz represents part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to shape crypto regulation. This includes the recent appointment of David Sacks as AI and Crypto Czar, who has indicated plans to work with Congress on new market structure legislation.
Sacks recently shared his optimism about achieving legislative progress, stating on the “All-In” podcast, “I think there’s a pretty good chance we can get this done in the next six months.”
The crypto industry has historically favored CFTC oversight compared to SEC regulation, viewing the CFTC as more supportive of digital asset innovation. The CFTC currently oversees a derivatives market valued at approximately $400 trillion.
In a 2022 interview with Decrypt, Quintenz addressed regulatory competition between the SEC and CFTC, suggesting that well-designed regulation could lead to
“large liquid markets with very strong integrity that become global access points for risk management, hedging opportunities, and price discovery.”
The selection comes as the Trump administration continues to make key appointments in financial regulation. Recently, Treasury nominee Scott Bessent has begun preparing to divest certain assets, including holdings in BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF, to comply with federal ethics guidelines.
The CFTC’s expanding role in crypto oversight could increase further if Congress grants the agency additional authority. The agency’s approach under Quintenz’s leadership could shape the development of cryptocurrency markets and their integration with traditional financial systems.
A16z has not provided immediate comment regarding Quintenz’s nomination to the CFTC chairmanship.
