Industry Letter Advocates for Quintenz Confirmation

Top digital assets lobbying groups dispatched a formal letter to the White House urging President Donald Trump to expedite the nomination of Brian Quintenz as chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Signatory organizations encompassed the Crypto Council for Innovation, the Blockchain Association, Digital Chamber, DeFi Education Fund and other prominent associations.

Nomination of Quintenz had encountered procedural delays after initial submission to the Senate Agriculture Committee. White House advisors requested postponement of a committee vote, generating concerns over confirmation timelines. The industry coalition characterized Quintenz as the “right person at the right time” to lead federal oversight of crypto commodity markets.

Brian Quintenz formerly served as CFTC commissioner and as head of policy at Andreessen Horowitz’s crypto division. Advocates assert that Quintenz’s expertise in digital markets will strengthen regulatory clarity and facilitate robust market structure reforms. The letter stressed the importance of agency leadership stability, citing impending exits of existing commissioners Kristin Johnson and acting chairman Caroline Pham.

Opposition from Gemini CEO Tyler Winklevoss had surfaced due to Quintenz’s connections to prediction market platform Kalshi and support for developer liability provisions. Industry signatories addressed such reservations, emphasizing cross-sector consensus on the nominee’s qualifications and vision for balanced regulation.

Confirmation of a permanent CFTC chair holds implications for the delineation of authority between the CFTC and the Securities and Exchange Commission regarding spot commodity products, including bitcoin and ether. Pending legislation under Senate consideration would formalize CFTC jurisdiction over crypto commodity derivatives and spot markets.

Coalition members underscored the need for regulatory leadership to guide implementation of new rulemakings, promote market integrity and safeguard consumer interests. Accelerated confirmation is viewed as essential to prevent gaps in oversight during congressional recesses and agency transition periods.

President Trump received the letter on Wednesday, with industry representatives indicating readiness to engage further with administration officials to resolve procedural obstacles. Quintenz’s confirmation hearing is expected to be scheduled promptly upon committee approval.