White House Withdraws Brian Quintenz’s Nomination to Lead CFTC
Contents
Toggle- Quick Breakdown
- Quintenz confirms withdrawal
- Winklevoss clash over nomination
- Leadership vacuum at the CFTC
Quick Breakdown
- Brian Quintenz’s nomination to chair the CFTC has been withdrawn by the Trump White House.
- The move follows a dispute between Quintenz and Gemini’s Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss over CFTC policies.
- The CFTC remains under Acting Chair Caroline Pham as Congress advances the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act.
The Trump administration has pulled Brian Quintenz’s nomination to chair the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), ending weeks of speculation over his confirmation prospects.
Quintenz confirms withdrawal
Quintenz, a former CFTC commissioner and head of crypto policy at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), confirmed the withdrawal in a statement as reported by Politico on September 30.
“Being nominated to chair the CFTC and going through the confirmation process was the honor of my life,”
he said, adding that he looked forward to returning to the private sector “during this exciting time for innovation.”
I am grateful to the president for that opportunity and to the Senate Agriculture Committee for its consideration,
Quintenz added.
“I look forward to returning to my private sector endeavors during this exciting time for innovation in our country.”
Source
:
Senate Agriculture Committee
Despite strong backing from the crypto industry, his nomination faced repeated congressional delays and growing political pushback.
Winklevoss clash over nomination
The controversy intensified after Quintenz publicly accused Gemini co-founders Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss of lobbying against his confirmation. He claimed the brothers pressured President Donald Trump to withdraw his name following disagreements over the CFTC’s handling of Gemini’s $5 million settlement with the regulator earlier this year.
Quintenz released private messages on X suggesting the Winklevoss twins sought commitments on “cultural reform” within the agency and an end to “lawfare” against crypto firms. He insisted that he would not make promises before assuming office.
Leadership vacuum at the CFTC
The CFTC has been without a permanent chair for nearly a year, with Acting Chair Caroline Pham leading the agency. Pham had previously indicated she would step down if Quintenz was confirmed.
The nomination withdrawal comes at a critical time, as lawmakers debate the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act. The bill seeks to delineate the responsibilities of the SEC, CFTC, and other regulators, potentially handing the CFTC oversight of “sufficiently decentralized” assets such as Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH).
“Take control of your crypto portfolio with MARKETS PRO, DeFi Planet’s suite of analytics tools.”
Disclaimer: The content of this article solely reflects the author's opinion and does not represent the platform in any capacity. This article is not intended to serve as a reference for making investment decisions.
You may also like
ZEC Rises 0.15% Following Grayscale’s Zcash ETF Application During 1,000% Surge
- Grayscale files to convert Zcash Trust into U.S.'s first Zcash spot ETF, reflecting institutional interest in privacy-focused crypto. - Zcash (ZEC) surges over 1,000% YTD to $459.73, with 30% of transactions now using shielded addresses for encrypted transfers. - The move mirrors Bitcoin ETF strategy and highlights growing adoption of privacy coins as institutional demand for encrypted assets rises. - If approved, the ETF could set regulatory precedent for privacy coins while boosting Zcash's liquidity a

Tokenized Stocks Face SEC Scrutiny: Balancing Progress and Compliance
- Nasdaq seeks SEC approval to trade tokenized stocks under existing regulations, proposing blockchain-based settlement while retaining traditional compliance frameworks. - The World Federation of Exchanges warns against crypto platform exemptions, urging safeguards to prevent unregulated tokenized securities from undermining investor protections. - SEC's December 4 advisory committee meeting will assess Nasdaq's blueprint, balancing innovation with risks of market fragmentation and offshore competition. -

Dogecoin News Today: Dogecoin ETF Breakthrough: Transitioning from Internet Meme to a Mainstream Investment Option
- Bitwise's DOGE ETF (BWOW) launches Nov 26, 2025, offering regulated DOGE exposure with 0.34% fee. - Dogecoin ranks 9th at $22B market cap, with $1B+ daily volume, driven by institutional adoption and SEC approval shifts. - ETF structure holds actual DOGE, aligning with Bitwise CEO's vision to democratize crypto access through transparency. - Grayscale's Zcash ETF filing and Mutuum Finance's $19M presale highlight growing altcoin institutional interest. - DOGE trades at $0.1503, consolidating in $0.13–$0.

Regulation and Innovation: SEC Examines Nasdaq’s Proposal for Tokenized Stocks
- Nasdaq seeks SEC approval for tokenized stock trading framework, aiming to modernize settlement while aligning with existing regulations. - The proposal shares CUSIPs and rights between tokenized/traditional shares but faces criticism over potential market fragmentation and investor protection risks. - SEC's cautious approach and December 4 panel will determine if tokenized equities gain regulatory traction or remain niche experiments. - Industry divides persist: Nasdaq prioritizes incremental adoption w

