The White House is vetting Josh Sterling, a former senior official at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), as a potential nominee to lead the agency, according to people familiar with the matter.
The move comes after the stalled nomination of Brian Quintenz, whose confirmation process was delayed amid political pushback and conflict-of-interest concerns.
Sterling previously served as Director of the CFTC’s Market Participants Division from 2017 to 2021, where he oversaw policies related to market surveillance, registration of participants, and cryptocurrency trading risks.
His experience in both traditional markets and digital assets is being closely weighed as the administration searches for a candidate who can navigate the agency’s growing role in crypto oversight.
Sterling, Selig, Williams Floated as Contenders for Next CFTC Chair
Eleanor Mueller first reported on X that Sterling is under consideration, while Bloomberg noted that other contenders include Mike Selig and Tyler Williams.
Selig, who serves as chief counsel to the Securities and Exchange Commission’s crypto task force and was formerly a partner at Willkie Farr & Gallagher, is viewed as having deep policy expertise.
Williams, a counselor to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on digital assets and a former executive at Galaxy Digital, has also been discussed.
The search for a new chair comes as the CFTC prepares to expand its jurisdiction over the crypto market.
Traditionally tasked with regulating derivatives such as futures and swaps, the agency’s role could grow under pending congressional legislation that would give it direct oversight of spot trading in digital commodities like Bitcoin and Ether.
Outgoing chair Rostin Behnam, who stepped down in January, argued that the CFTC is best positioned to regulate digital commodities and oversaw several major enforcement actions, including a $4.3 billion settlement with Binance.
Quintenz, a former CFTC commissioner and head of policy at a16z crypto, was originally nominated by President Trump in February.
His candidacy, initially backed by crypto industry groups, faced opposition after reports surfaced that Gemini co-founders Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss urged Trump to reconsider.
The White House later asked the Senate Agriculture Committee, which oversees the agency, to pause it’s confirmation vote.
The CFTC is currently operating with only two commissioners on its five-member panel, leaving it with limited capacity.
Industry observers warn that continued delays in confirming a permanent chair could slow progress on establishing clear rules for the crypto sector, even as calls for stronger oversight intensify.
CFTC Expands Digital Asset Advisory Roles, Links Efforts to New Crypto Bill
The CFTC recently added new members to its Global Markets Advisory Committee (GMAC) and Digital Asset Markets Subcommittee (DAMS), showing its effort to bring industry expertise into digital asset policymaking.
Fresh appointees to DAMS include Katherine Minarik of Uniswap Labs, Avery Ching of Aptos Labs, James J. Hill of BNY, and Ben Sherwin of Chainlink Labs—figures with
backgrounds in blockchain infrastructure, legal policy, and institutional crypto strategy.
JPMorgan’s Scott Lucas will now co-chair the group alongside Franklin Templeton’s Sandy Kaul, replacing Caroline Butler.
Lucas stressed the importance of “clear and effective regulatory frameworks,” while Kaul pointed to consumer protection as a key priority.
DAMS advises the CFTC on blockchain, tokenization, and decentralized finance, helping the agency assess risks and align oversight across financial markets.
The appointments come as Congress advances a revised draft of the Responsible Financial Innovation Act of 2025.
The bill proposes a Joint Advisory Committee between the SEC and CFTC, introduces explicit protections for decentralized developers, and clarifies that airdrops, staking rewards, and DePIN tokens are not securities.
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