White House eyes other candidates for CFTC chair as Quintenz confirmation stalls: Bloomberg

The White House is considering alternative candidates to chair the Commodity Futures Trading Commission as Brian Quintenz’s confirmation continues to stall, Bloomberg reported Thursday citing sources familiar with the matter.

According to the report, the Trump administration has been actively discussing the subject in recent weeks. Among those being considered are officials with expertise in cryptocurrency regulation, the report said.

As crypto regulation in the U.S. take shape, the CFTC is expected to play a central role in crypto oversight, with the Congress actively developing legislation to expand the agency’s regulatory powers over digital assets.

The CFTC currently operates with only one commissioner, Caroline Pham, serving as acting chair, despite the agency’s mandate to have five commissioners.

Pham previously said she intends to leave the agency once President Trump’s nominee for CFTC chair, Brian Quintenz, is confirmed, but his confirmation process has faced challenges since his nomination in February.

In July 2025, the Trump administration requested a delay in the Senate Agriculture Committee’s vote on Quintenz’s nomination for CFTC chair but reaffirmed its support for him later that month.

Quintenz’s nomination also received dissent from some crypto industry members, including Gemini co-founders Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss. The two crypto billionaires, who are prominent supporters and financial contributors of the Trump administration, said in July that Quintenz is not aligned with the goals and policy of the administration.

The situation escalated earlier this month when Quintenz publicly alleged that the Winklevoss twins lobbied Trump against his nomination after he refused to actively look into Gemini’s complaint accusing the CFTC staff of misconduct during an earlier investigation on Gemini.

The Block has reached out to the White House and the CFTC for further information.