Fox Business journalist Eleanor Terret wrote on Feb. 12 that Donald Trump has reportedly appointed Brian Quintenz to be the next head of policy at a16z Crypto.
Quintenz, if confirmed, will replace Caroline Pham as acting chair.
Quintenz is a brand of Quintenz.
Quintenz played a major role in advancing the technological oversight of the CFTC. He served as a commissioner between 2017 and 2021. He served as the chairman of the Technology Advisory Committee.
In the years since he left the Commission, he’s been instrumental in developing policy strategies at a16z Crypto. a16z Crypto is one of the largest crypto-focused investment firms and contributed over $47 million in 2024 to Fairshake as well as other political organisations.
His nomination signals Trump’s broader intention to redefine financial regulation, particularly in the crypto and derivatives markets.
Quintenz would be in charge of drafting the interpretive rules for the CFTC if Congress passes market structure legislation giving it more power.
Notably, crypto has advocated CFTC regulation for a number of years, arguing the agency would provide a regulatory environment that was more open to innovation than the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
Industry Reaction
Although the White House has yet to officially announce Quintenz’s nomination, key industry figures have already endorsed it.
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong, along with other cryptocurrency leaders, has welcomed this decision and shown confidence in Armstrong’s ability to lead.
Crypto attorney Jeremy Hogan emphasized that the CFTC Chair could become more influential in crypto regulation than the SEC’s leadership and called Quintenz a strong choice for the Commission.
Hogan said:
“The head of the CFTC will, eventually, likely be more important to the crypto space than the head of the SEC. And Brian Quintez is a solid ‘A!’”
Meanwhile, finance lawyer Scott Johnsson highlighted Quintenz’s role in launching CME Bitcoin Futures, which paved the way for Spot Bitcoin ETFs. This, he said, reinforces his confidence that he can lead the agency successfully.
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