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CFTC chairman search continues as Trump administration pulls Quintenz nomination

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Publish Date: Oct 01, 2025

Fact checked by: Sara Jane Gamelli

It's back to the drawing board for a new Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) chairman.

The Trump administration decided late Tuesday that they have withdrawn the nomination of Brian Quintenz for the CFTC chairmanship, according to a report by Politico, citing two people familiar to the decision.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission headquarters in Washington, DC, US. (Tierney L. Cross/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Quintenz was a CFTC commissioner during Trump’s first term

Tuesday's decision comes less than eight months after President Trump tapped the former commissioner to come back and lead the federal agency.

It is believed that Quintenz' candidacy hit a roadblock after a public feud with crypto billionaires and Gemini founders Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss. Three months ago, both brothers reportedly hinted to Trump that Quintenz wasn’t aligned with the administration's current agenda.

All of this comes as Capitol Hill lawmakers are weighing the pros and cons on whether to hand the CFTC direct operational authority over cryptocurrency, which has taken on new heights during Trump's second term.

Acting CFTC chair Caroline Pham will continue to remain in place as potential newcomers to the position are considered

Pham, a Republican who has pledged closer coordination with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) while defending the CFTC’s independence, has said that she plans to leave once a permanent chair is confirmed.

Pham was unanimously elected by the CFTC commissioners as Acting Chairman on Jan. 20, following the resignation of Chairman Rostin Behnam. She has been a commissioner since April 2022.

Among those reportedly in consideration are Mike Selig (chief counsel for the Securities and Exchange Commission’s crypto task force) and Tyler Williams (crypto issues advisor for Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent).

Established in 1974, the CFTC is an independent U.S. federal agency that regulates the U.S. derivatives markets, including futures, options, and swaps. Its primary mission is to protect market participants and the public from fraud, manipulation, and abusive practices while promoting fair, transparent, and competitive markets.

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