US CFTC launches 'Innovation Advisory Committee'…Coinbase and Robinhood CEOs join

The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has recruited a large slate of chief executives from major companies spanning digital assets (crypto), fintech and traditional finance, setting its financial-innovation push under the Trump administration in motion.

According to The Daily Wire on the 12th (local time), the CFTC officially announced the creation of the "Innovation Advisory Committee" that day. The committee was established to modernize regulation in line with a rapidly changing financial-technology landscape and to directly hear from the private sector with the aim of strengthening US financial competitiveness.

CFTC Chairman Michael Selig said in a statement, "The launch of the Innovation Advisory Committee today is an important and vibrant moment for the CFTC," adding that it would "set clear milestones toward a golden age for US financial markets through forward-looking regulation that reflects market realities."

The advisory roster includes leaders representing blockchain, fintech and traditional finance. On the digital-asset side, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong and Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev have joined. Also included are Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour, whose company runs a prediction-market platform, along with heads of sports-betting firms such as FanDuel and DraftKings.

Traditional finance is also strongly represented. Global exchange leaders including Nasdaq Chair and CEO Adena Friedman, London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) CEO David Schwimmer, and Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) CEO Jeff Sprecher will serve as members as the panel seeks to harmonize legacy and new finance. A senior CFTC official said, "The committee's composition reflects Chairman Selig's strong commitment to prioritizing communication with industry," calling it "an example of an approach that is 180 degrees different from the previous administration."

The committee's launch is drawing additional attention as it coincides with the CFTC's recent, unusually aggressive deregulatory moves. Late last month, the CFTC abruptly withdrew a Biden-era proposal that had restricted futures contracts linked to political and sports events. The decision has energized prediction-market platforms such as Kalshi and Polymarket, where users can bet on future events ranging from the Super Bowl champion to the winner of the 2028 presidential election, and Robinhood and Coinbase have also been moving quickly to enter related markets.

Chairman Selig said, "The existing regulatory framework was difficult to apply and did not meet market participants' expectations," adding, "Through new guidelines, we will make it clear to companies what is permitted and what is prohibited."