The CFTC chair nomination process is facing delays as the White House reportedly weighs new candidates, with the confirmation of Trump nominee Brian Quintenz stalled in the Senate.
Summary
- The White House is considering new candidates for CFTC chair as Brian Quintenz’s stalled nomination remains unresolved.
- Reports claim potential chair candidates include chief counsel to the SEC Michael Selig, and Tyler Williams, a counselor to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent
- Quintenz recently alleged that Gemini founder Tyler Winklevoss tried to influence his potential role at the CFTC. The dispute stems from the exchange’s long-running tensions with the commission.
The White House is reportedly exploring new candidates to lead the Commodity Futures Trading Commission after weeks of delays in confirming President Trump’s nominee Brian Quintenz. According to a recent Bloomberg report, Quintenz, a former CFTC commissioner who was tapped for the chair role earlier this year, has yet to move forward in the process.
Among the names said to be under consideration are Michael Selig, chief counsel to the SEC’s crypto task force and a former asset management attorney, and Tyler Williams, a counselor to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on digital-asset policy who previously worked at Galaxy Digital.
Neither Michael Selig nor Tyler Williams has commented on the discussions, and the CFTC continues to operate under Acting Chair Caroline Pham, with several commissioner seats still unfilled.
While the White House has not officially indicated it is backing away from Brian Quintenz, the Bloomberg report reinforces his recent remarks that the nomination process has stalled and his confirmation remains uncertain.
Quintenz’s allegations against Gemini founders over CFTC nomination
Earlier this month, Brian Quintenz took to X to publish screenshots of private messages he says he exchanged with Gemini co-founder Tyler Winklevoss in late July. Quintenz claimed those messages show Winklevoss urging him to intervene in a Gemini complaint against the CFTC and to reassure the exchange about how such cases would be handled if he became Chair.
Quintenz alleged that after he declined to give any assurances, Winklevoss sought to have his CFTC nomination slowed or halted. He said the outreach may have led President Trump to pause the confirmation process, writing that the president “might have been misled” by the Gemini founders.
The dispute traces back to Gemini’s long-running clash with the CFTC, including a 2022 enforcement action that ended in a $5 million settlement earlier this year. After the settlement, Gemini filed an inspector-general complaint accusing the agency of “lawfare trophy hunting,” which it said reflected politically motivated enforcement.
The text messages released by Quintenz appear to show Winklevoss pressing for signals that a future Chair would address those concerns. The Winklevoss twins have yet to publicly respond to the CFTC nominee’s claims, but the dispute has added friction to the already difficult confirmation process.
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