President-elect Donald Trump is reportedly considering Brian Quintenz, a former Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) commissioner, to lead the agency.
Currently serving as the policy lead for VC giant Andreessen Horowitz’s crypto division, Quintenz has emerged as a frontrunner among candidates, according to sources cited in Bloomberg's report.
An announcement is expected in the coming days following the conclusion of interviews for the chair position.
Other candidates reportedly include current CFTC Commissioners Summer Mersinger and Caroline Pham, as well as legal experts Joshua Sterling and Neal Kumar.
Former CFTC Commissioner Takes Up Head of Policy Role at Andreessen Horowitz
Crypto venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, also known as a16z, today announced that Brian Quintenz has assumed the full-time role of head of policy. Formerly a commissioner of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) under both former Presidents Obama and Trump, Quintenz first joined a16z as a senior advisor in September 2021. During his tenure at the CFTC, Quintenz oversaw the listing of Bitcoin futures contracts in the U.S. market and the creation of tokenized commodities, among o...
If selected, Quintenz would bring a wealth of experience from both the public and private sectors.
During his tenure at the CFTC, he oversaw the launch of the first regulated Bitcoin and Ethereum futures contracts and promoted discussions on decentralized finance (DeFi).
Quintenz’s pro-innovation stance complements Trump’s apparent focus on fostering a supportive environment for the crypto industry, which played a significant role in the 2024 elections.
Trump's Pro-Crypto Picks, Here's Who's Holding Bitcoin
President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration includes a mix of GOP politicians, lawyers, and business leaders. While many of his picks still require Senate approval, several stand out for a shared connection: they have either held crypto directly or indirectly and are bullish on the asset class. From the nominee for national security advisor to the pick for national intelligence director, several members of Trump’s proposed cabinet and inner circle are or have been crypto holders, acco...
Andreessen Horowitz alone donated $25 million and $23 million, respectively, to pro-crypto political candidates through its political action committee, Fairshake.
Since joining a16z Crypto, Quintenz has remained an outspoken advocate for crypto-friendly policies, calling for regulations tailored to blockchain technology.
He has criticized the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) approach as overly restrictive, noting that the crypto ecosystem needs rules “fit for purpose” to realize its full potential.
SEC Approach Is ‘Threatening the Entire Ecosystem’: Former CFTC Commissioner
Brian Quintenz said he understands why the crypto industry isn’t happy with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)—but doesn’t see regulation itself as the problem. The former CFTC (Commodity Futures Trading Commission) commissioner said the regulatory environment for crypto is cumbersome in its current form, and in an interview at Mainnet 2022, he told Decrypt why some are looking towards the CFTC for a different approach. “I think what the crypto ecosystem wants is rules that fit its t...
“I think what the crypto ecosystem wants is rules that fit its technology, that are fit for purpose, that allow for the innovation to actually reach its full potential,” Quintenz said in a 2022 interview with Decrypt. “You’re not getting that out of the SEC.”
The CFTC chair position is critical as the agency is expected to tackle major policy shifts, particularly amid jurisdictional tensions with the SEC.
If confirmed, Quintenz would oversee a regulatory environment primed for change.
Edited by Stacy Elliott.
