White House excludes Brian Quintenz from CFTC chair candidate pool

The White House has reportedly removed Brian Quintenz (a16z head of policy) from consideration for chair of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

According to Politico on the 30th (local time), Quintenz was removed from consideration for CFTC chair. He had been mentioned as a nominee for chair earlier this year, but the confirmation process ran into difficulties after Gemini co-founders Tyler·Cameron Winklevoss and others raised conflicts of interest concerns. Multiple sources said concerns about a16z's lobbying activities also played a role.

Quintenz served as a CFTC commissioner during the first Trump administration and was welcomed by the digital asset industry at the time. In a statement, he said, "Being nominated as a candidate for CFTC chair and going through the confirmation process was the greatest honor of my life," and added, "I thank the President and the Senate Agriculture Committee, and I look forward to returning to a role in the private sector during this time of active innovation."

Earlier, the Senate Agriculture Committee twice canceled a confirmation vote for Quintenz, and the second cancellation was reported to have been at the White House's request. The White House did not comment on the matter.

A leading candidate to succeed him is Mike Selick, currently the SEC's senior counsel for its digital asset task force and senior advisor to the chair. Others in the candidate pool include Josh Sterling of Milbank, Isabel Cobet Sterling of BakerHostetler, and former CFTC commissioner Jill Sommers.