Latest Trump nominees have ties to crypto 

Brian Quintenz and Jonathan Gould are two recent Cabinet nominees with ties to crypto

article-image

A16z head of policy Brian Quintenz | Permissionless III by Mike Lawrence for Blockworks

share


This is a segment from the Forward Guidance newsletter. To read full editions, subscribe.


President Trump released a fresh batch of cabinet nominations late last week and among them are two names familiar to the crypto industry: Brian Quintenz and Jonathan Gould.

Quintenz is being tapped to run the CFTC and Gould is Trump’s pick for comptroller of the currency. Neither nomination hearing has been scheduled yet. 

Quintenz served under Trump as a CFTC commissioner from 2017 to 2021. Most recently he’s been the policy lead at a16z crypto. Republican Commissioner Caroline Pham, also seen as a crypto advocate, has led the agency since Trump’s inauguration. 

Quintenz mentioned crypto in a post on X last week thanking Trump for selecting him. 

“The agency is also well poised to ensure the USA leads the world in blockchain technology and innovation,” Quintez wrote. “I look forward to working with President Trump’s incredible financial regulatory team.”

“Looking forward to more SEC-CFTC cooperation,” SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce replied, adding that “this time” the agencies will focus on crypto

Gould most recently practiced at Jones Day, a law firm that has represented Trump’s campaign. He served at the OCC as chief legal officer during Trump’s first term. 

Prior to Jones Day, Gould had a brief stint as the chief legal officer of Bitfury, a crypto infrastructure company. 

The crypto industry is fired up for a few reasons. First, these are two major positions in the financial regulation space — a space that in recent years has taken a harsh approach to crypto. 

The OCC specifically supervises US banks, a sector of the financial industry many crypto companies have felt ignored by. These frustrations were brought to light during recent Congressional hearings unpacking so-called “Operation Chokepoint 2.0.” 

Much of the crypto industry has also recently advocated for Congress to give more power to the CFTC to oversee the crypto industry. With Republicans in control of both chambers, this could be the year a market structure bill makes it over the finish line. Plus, Peirce’s comments signal that the agencies are not looking to get involved in a turf war.


Get the news in your inbox. Explore Blockworks newsletters:

  • Blockworks Daily: The newsletter that helps thousands of investors understand crypto and the markets, by Byron Gilliam.
  • Empire: Start your morning with the top news and analysis to inform your day in crypto.
  • Forward Guidance: Reporting and analysis on the growing intersection of crypto and macroeconomics, policy and finance.
  • 0xResearch: Alpha directly in your inbox. Market highlights, data, degen trade ideas, governance updates, token performance and more.
  • Lightspeed: Built for Solana investors, developers and community members. The latest from one of crypto’s hottest networks.
  • The Drop: For crypto collectors and traders, covering apps, games, memes and more.
Tags

Upcoming Events

Industry City | Brooklyn, NY

TUES - THURS, JUNE 24 - 26, 2025

Permissionless IV serves as the definitive gathering for crypto’s technical founders, developers, and builders to come together and create the future.If you’re ready to shape the future of crypto, Permissionless IV is where it happens.

Old Billingsgate

Mon - Wed, October 13 - 15, 2025

Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit (DAS) will feature conversations between the builders, allocators, and legislators who will shape the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in the US and abroad.

recent research

Research Report Templates (5).png

Research

Outside of stablecoins, the value of tokenized assets sits below $20B, dominated by the following asset classes: private credit, US Treasuries, commodities, institutional alternative funds, stocks, non-US government debt, and corporate bonds. In the coming months, we see the greatest opportunities in the tokenization of illiquid markets, particularly private equity. However, the successful integration of offchain assets into blockchain ecosystems relies heavily on clear and consistent regulatory frameworks, with purpose-built infrastructure to support it.

article-image

“Every asset manager and bank doing ‘crypto’ is earning insane fees for putting things ‘onchain,'” read a slide from Meltem Demiror’s DAS talk

article-image

The move from the national bank regulator came after increased pressure from Republicans

article-image

Industry leaders at DAS sounded off on the SEC’s approval of solana futures ETFs and how the crypto industry could expand into futures products

article-image

The decentralized-storage alternative to AWS or IPFS will launch its mainnet March 27

article-image

Bitcoin ETF outflows are leveling off, Ethereum’s price action is increasingly sentiment-driven, and TradFi’s role in crypto is expanding

article-image

The MicroStrategy founder understood digital scarcity long before Bitcoin, and it’s a story of bubbles, brokers and a “monster bull run.”