Commissioner Christy Goldsmith Romero to Resign from CFTC Upon Trump’s Successor Appointment

Christy Goldsmith Romero, a commissioner at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), announced she will step down from her role once Brian Quintenz, former CFTC commissioner and current global head of policy at Andreessen Horowitz, is confirmed as her successor.

Her resignation will come after Congress approves Quintenz’s nomination, which still awaits a U.S. Senate vote.

Goldsmith Romero’s decision, confirmed in a February 25 statement shared with Reuters, follows President Donald Trump’s selection of Quintenz to lead the agency.

Brian Quintenz Set to Replace Acting CFTC Chair Caroline Pham Pending Senate Approval

Quintenz, who previously served at the CFTC from 2017 to 2021 during Trump’s first term, will replace acting chair Caroline Pham upon Senate confirmation.

The move will leave Kristin Johnson as the sole Democratic commissioner on the five-member panel.

By law, no more than three commissioners can belong to the same political party, meaning the remaining open seat must be filled by a Democrat.

Goldsmith Romero joined the CFTC in 2022, appointed by former President Joe Biden.

During her tenure, she played a pivotal role in reviving the technology advisory committee, aimed at helping the agency navigate emerging technologies, particularly in the cryptocurrency sector.

She was also instrumental in supporting the CFTC’s lawsuit against Binance and its former CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, filed on March 27, 2023.

The suit alleged that Binance operated an illegal derivatives exchange in violation of federal laws.

The case concluded with Binance agreeing to pay $2.7 billion in fines and CZ personally paying $150 million to settle charges.

Trump’s decision to nominate Quintenz was initially reported by Bloomberg on February 12 and later confirmed by Quintenz on X.

It is my great honor to be nominated by President @realDonaldTrump as the next Chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, where I had served as a Commissioner in his last administration. The @CFTC plays a critical role in maintaining robust hedging and price discovery…

— Brian Quintenz (@BrianQuintenz) February 12, 2025

Quintenz’s prior stint at the CFTC was marked by a pro-crypto stance, where he advocated for integrating digital asset derivatives into the agency’s regulatory framework.

Even after leaving office, he continued to champion the crypto industry, criticizing regulators he deemed inconsistent.

In March 2024, he criticized the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) under Gary Gensler for its handling of Ether’s (ETH) legal classification, arguing that the approval of Ether futures ETFs in October 2023 suggested the asset should not be considered a security.

US Crypto Owners Expect Less Regulation

Cryptocurrency enforcement in the United States may ease under the upcoming administration of Republican President-elect Donald Trump, with regulatory priorities expected to shift.

Speaking at a legal conference in New York, current and former senior government lawyers indicated that while financial fraud cases will still be pursued, the Justice Department’s focus will likely move toward immigration enforcement, a key campaign promise of Trump.

Scott Hartman, co-chief of the securities and commodities task force at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan, revealed that fewer resources will be allocated to policing cryptocurrency crimes.

As of late, the SEC has been facing growing criticism due to its “regulation-by-enforcement” approach to the crypto industry.

Critics argue that the SEC has failed to establish a clear regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies, opting instead to pursue legal action against key industry players.