Trump plans to nominate a16z’s Brian Quintenz to chair CFTC: Bloomberg

U.S. President Donald Trump intends to nominate Brian Quintenz, head of global policy at a16z crypto, to lead the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Bloomberg reported today.

Quintenz, a former commissioner of the CFTC during Trump’s first administration, emerged as a top contender to lead the agency late last year. Trump now plans to select Quintenz to chair the CFTC, Bloomberg reported on Monday, citing a document sent by the White House to Capitol Hill.

“I congratulate my friend Brian Quintenz on his selection for CFTC Chairman. I worked with Brian on important initiatives that he led to success when he was a CFTC Commissioner. He will do the same for crypto and innovation. I look forward to supporting Brian and his leadership at the CFTC,” CFTC Acting Chair Caroline Pham said in a statement.

Kristin Smith, CEO of Blockchain Association, also wrote in a statement that Quintenz’s “real experience in the crypto industry” and his CFTC knowledge make him “perfectly suited to lead the agency.”

The nomination of Quintenz as CFTC Chair aligns with Trump’s pro-crypto agenda, positioning the CFTC to become a major player in crypto regulation. Last month, Trump tapped Caroline Pham, who led multiple crypto initiatives at the CFTC, to serve as acting chair of the agency.

The Block has reached out to the White House for further comment.