Key Takeaways:
Brian Quintenz disclosed $3.4M in assets tied to crypto ventures.
He pledged to recuse from conflicted matters and divest holdings if confirmed.
His nomination signals a pro-crypto shift in U.S. financial regulation.
Brian Quintenz, U.S. President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), has disclosed financial holdings and board positions that tie him closely to the crypto sector.
Quintenz, a former CFTC commissioner from 2017 to 2021, reported at least $3.4 million in assets in paperwork filed with the U.S. Office of Government Ethics on May 25, according to Bloomberg.
The disclosure includes stakes in venture funds tied to Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), where he currently serves as Global Head of Crypto Policy — a role he says he’ll relinquish if confirmed.
Trump’s CFTC Nominee Holds Stakes in Crypto Funds and Prediction Markets
Quintenz’s portfolio includes interests in three AH Capital funds, as well as equity in prediction markets firm Kalshi and derivatives brokerage Next Level Derivatives.
Both firms fall squarely within CFTC’s regulatory scope, suggesting potential conflicts if he assumes the chairmanship.
Quintenz’s ties to Kalshi are particularly notable, given the company’s recent legal clash with the CFTC over election markets.
In a letter to the agency’s Designated Ethics Official, he pledged to recuse himself from any matters involving Kalshi for a year and a16z-related issues for two years.
He also committed to resigning from all corporate roles and divesting conflicting assets within 90 days of Senate confirmation.
Additionally, he will forfeit unvested equity options and seek ongoing ethics guidance, while retaining unpaid trustee duties for two family trusts.
These disclosures come as the CFTC enters a transitional phase. Three of its four commissioners — Kristin Johnson, Summer Mersinger, and Christy Goldsmith Romero — are all stepping down by the end of May, giving Trump the opportunity to reshape the regulator’s leadership.
Quintenz’s nomination signals a continued pivot by the Trump administration toward more crypto-friendly leadership at key financial agencies.
His record and professional affiliations are expected to face close examination during the Senate confirmation process, especially as lawmakers wrestle with defining the CFTC’s jurisdiction over digital assets.
CFTC Set to Approve Crypto Perpetual Futures
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission is poised to approve crypto perpetual futures trading in the United States, according to outgoing commissioner Summer Mersinger.
Speaking with Bloomberg, she said the agency has already received applications and that such products could go live “very soon,” marking a significant step in bringing crypto derivatives back onshore.
Mersinger emphasized the importance of offering these products under U.S. regulation, suggesting it would boost market integrity and benefit both the crypto industry and the wider economy.
She also noted that the rising adoption of crypto assets in the U.S. signals their staying power.
Perpetual futures are a form of derivatives allowing traders to speculate on crypto prices without expiration.
Mersinger’s departure from the CFTC is timely, as she transitions to a new role at the Blockchain Association, where she aims to contribute to upcoming stablecoin and market structure legislation.
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