Kraken, a16z execs within the operating for CFTC chair position

President-elect Donald Trump’s transition workforce is eyeing crypto-friendly names to be the following chair of the Commodity Futures Buying and selling Fee (CFTC), in accordance to Fox Enterprise reporter Eleanor Terrett.

Amongst these reportedly in rivalry are Summer time Mersinger, a present CFTC Commissioner; Brian Quintenz, a16z crypto coverage chief and former CFTC commissioner; and Marco Santori, Kraken’s chief authorized officer.

The report cited two sources acquainted with the discussions which have described Quintenz and Mersinger as “odds-on front-runners” for the position. 

Crypto-friendly contenders

Each reported front-runners carry vital expertise and crypto coverage credentials. 

Mersinger is taken into account a thought chief on the intersection of crypto innovation and shopper safety. She regularly speaks at trade occasions and has championed balanced regulation to foster development within the sector.

In the meantime, Quintenz has been a vocal advocate for a regulatory surroundings that accommodates crypto innovation, a stance honed throughout his tenure as a CFTC commissioner and his present position at a16z.

If chosen, both candidate may steer the company towards insurance policies prioritizing readability and innovation within the US crypto trade.

The CFTC oversees $500 trillion in buying and selling volumes throughout currencies and monetary derivatives and has lengthy competed with the US Securities and Trade Fee (SEC) for regulatory authority over crypto. 

Many within the sector want the CFTC as the first regulator for crypto, citing its traditionally lighter regulatory contact.

Optimism beneath Trump

The Trump administration, which begins on Jan. 20, has signaled a marked departure from the present administration’s method. Throughout his marketing campaign, Trump vowed to finish the regulatory “campaign” in opposition to the crypto trade beneath the Biden administration.

This promise has already begun shaping key appointments, together with the appointment of pro-crypto Paul Atkins to guide the SEC, Bitcoin (BTC) proponent Scott Bessent because the incoming Treasury Secretary, and innovation-friendly David Sacks as “crypto czar.”

Whereas Mersinger and Quintenz lead the pack, a number of different names stay on the shortlist, together with Caroline Pham, a Republican CFTC commissioner with a powerful regulatory background; Neal Kumar and Josh Sterling, each of whom held senior roles on the CFTC and are thought of regulatory consultants.

The Trump transition workforce has reportedly vetted at the very least half a dozen candidates for the position, reflecting the administration’s concentrate on discovering a pacesetter who aligns with its imaginative and prescient for the crypto trade.

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