Brian Quintenz to Return to CFTC Amid Growing Crypto Regulation Shifts

Brian Quintenz, former CFTC commissioner, is expected to return to the agency following his selection by President Donald Trump, according to media reports referencing a White House document from Tuesday.

Quintenz’s term as Chairman and Commissioner is set to end on April 13, 2029. This follows speculation in December about Trump considering Quintenz and other candidates. Rostin Behnam will take over as Vice Chair, succeeding Christy Goldsmith Romero.

Currently heading crypto policy at Andreessen Horowitz’s (a16z) crypto arm, Quintenz previously served as a Republican commissioner at the CFTC from 2017 to 2021. His nomination could indicate a shift toward more crypto-friendly oversight of the $400 trillion derivatives market, alongside other recent appointments, including Treasurer Scott Bessent.

A16z's crypto arm holds investments in Solana, Uniswap, Story, Lido, Optimism, Farcaster, and EigenLayer, among others.

During his time at the CFTC, Quintenz was one of crypto’s most vocal advocates in Washington, often compared to SEC Commissioner Hester "Crypto Mom" Peirce for his pro-innovation stance. In a 2022 interview with Decrypt, Quintenz spoke about the "regulatory landgrab" between the SEC and CFTC.

"Some of those things are true, but if you have well-tailored, appropriately calibrated regulation, the ultimate result could be large liquid markets with very strong integrity that become global access points for risk management, hedging opportunities, and price discovery," Quintenz said.

The nomination comes amid broader efforts by the Trump administration to reshape crypto regulation. Trump’s newly appointed AI and Crypto Czar, David Sacks, has expressed plans to collaborate with Congress on new "market structure" legislation aimed at benefiting the industry.

"I think there's a pretty good chance we can get this done in the next six months," Sacks stated on the “All-In” podcast.

The crypto industry has long advocated for CFTC jurisdiction over the SEC, viewing the derivatives regulator as more open to digital asset innovation.