Trump Transition Team Considers Brian Quintenz for CFTC Chair Position
President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team has concluded interviews for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) chair position, with Brian Quintenz, Head of Policy at a16z crypto, emerging as a top contender, as reported by Bloomberg.
Quintenz’s expertise in crypto policy makes him a strong candidate for the role, especially given the anticipated role of the CFTC in regulating digital assets in the upcoming Trump administration.
Having previously served as a CFTC Commissioner in both the Obama and Trump administrations, Quintenz oversaw the introduction of the first fully-regulated Bitcoin and Ethereum futures contracts. He currently provides guidance to a16z on crypto policy and investments.
Sources indicate that Quintenz has been collaborating with the Trump transition team on crypto policy matters alongside David Sacks, Trump’s appointed AI and Crypto Czar. His candidacy is supported by a16z co-founders Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz.
The announcement of Trump’s choice for CFTC chair is expected to follow the nomination of Paul Atkins as SEC chair.
Other candidates being considered for the position include current CFTC Commissioners Summer Mersinger and Caroline Pham, as well as former officials Joshua Sterling and Neal Kumar.