a16z crypto policy director Brian Quintenz emerges as top candidate for CFTC chair under Trump administration

Key Takeaways

Brian Quintenz, affiliated with a16z crypto, is a leading candidate for the CFTC chairman position under the new Trump administration.
With Paul Atkins named to lead the SEC, Trump's transition team is expected to soon announce their pick for the CFTC chair.

President Donald Trump's transition team has completed interviews for the position of chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), and Brian Quintenz, Head of Policy at a16z crypto, has emerged as a front-runner for the position, a according to a new statement. report from Bloomberg, citing people with knowledge of the matter.

Quintenz's background in crypto policy positions him as a strong candidate for the role, especially as the CFTC is expected to play a key role in regulating digital assets under the incoming Trump administration .

Quintenz, a former CFTC Commissioner in both the Obama and Trump administrations, oversaw the implementation of the first fully regulated Bitcoin and Ethereum futures contracts. He currently advises a16z on crypto policy and investments.

Sources say Quintenz has been working with Trump's transition team on crypto policy issues in recent weeks, collaborating with David SackAI named Trump and Crypto Czar. His claim is supported by a16z co-founders Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz.

Trump's team will probably announce their choice for CFTC chairman soon after the named Paul Atkins as SEC chairman.

Other candidates are also being considered, including current CFTC Commissioners Summer Mersinger and Caroline Pham, as well as former officials Joshua Sterling and Neal Kumar.