US CFTC appoints Caroline Pham as Acting Chair
According to the announcement released by the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) on Monday, current commissioner Caroline Pham has been elected as the acting chairman of the CFTC, effective from January 20, 2025.
According to The Block, Pham is one of the Republican commissioners of the CFTC nominated by former US President Joe Biden in 2022, with a term ending on April 13, 2027. During her tenure, she led multiple digital asset initiatives, including the establishment of the Digital Asset Market Subcommittee, providing recommendations on governance and risk, and proposing a regulatory framework for digital assets. In 2023, Pham He once called for the establishment of a "US regulatory sandbox" to first establish a framework for new technologies, and then launch a pilot program for digital assets.
According to the announcement, former CFTC Chairman Rostin Behnam, who has resigned, will continue to serve as a commissioner until his departure on February 7th. So far, US President Donald Trump has not nominated the CFTC chairman.
According to previous reports, the Trump team has screened at least six candidates. Some insiders said that Brian Quintenz, the policy director of the encryption department a16z crypto under the venture capital company Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), and Summer Mersinger, the current member of the CFTC are the most likely candidates.
