Brian Quintenz
Brian D. Quintenz is an American financial policy expert and former Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) commissioner. He most recently served as the global head of policy for a16z crypto, the cryptocurrency venture funds of Andreessen Horowitz,[1] but stepped away from the firm as of February 24, 2025, pending his confirmation hearing for chairman of the CFTC.[2] Quintenz had been the Trump administration's nominee for chairman of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) in 2025, but the White House withdrew his nomination after the Winklevoss twins, Cameron and Tyler, turned against him.[3] His nomination also came under fire from gambling-industry groups, which were suspicious of his role as an adviser to Kalshi, a CFTC-regulated prediction market that has launched sports-betting contracts. President Trump had nominated him to replace Christy Goldsmith Romero as a CFTC commissioner for the term expiring April 13, 2029, according to an official White House document sent to the U.S. Senate.[4][5] Quintenz previously served as a commissioner of the CFTC from 2017 to 2021, during the first Trump administration.[6] [7] Career[edit]Early Career[edit]Before entering the financial sector, Quintenz worked on Capitol Hill for six years, serving as a senior policy advisor for Congresswoman Deborah Pryce (OH-15).[8] Financial Sector[edit]Quintenz founded and served as the managing principal and chief investment officer of Saeculum Capital Management, a registered Commodity Pool Operator, though he wound it down in anticipation of being nominated to the CFTC. He also worked as an outside consultant for the Global Institutional Consulting Group at Merrill Lynch and as a senior associate for Hill-Townsend Capital.[9] CFTC Commissioner[edit]Quintenz was nominated by both Presidents Obama and Trump to serve as a commissioner of the CFTC. He was unanimously confirmed by the Senate on August 3, 2017, and served until September 2021.[10][11] [12] After joining the commission, Quintenz was aligned with President Donald Trump‘s de-regulatory agenda and with Chairman Tarbert's agenda, which included finalizing limits on hedge funds’ ability to speculate on commodity derivatives and new data reporting rules for swaps. In 2018, he called for digital trading platforms to form a self-regulatory organization to write and enforce rules.[13] During his tenure, Quintenz headed the agency's Technology Advisory Committee, which hosted comprehensive public discussions on policy issues related to cryptocurrency and other digital assets. He played a key role in the U.S. beginning to regulate futures contracts based on virtual currencies, including Bitcoin and Ether.[14] Post-CFTC Career[edit]After leaving the CFTC, Quintenz joined Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) as an advisory partner in September 2021. In December 2022, he became the global head of policy for a16z crypto. Quintenz purchased between $15,001 and $50,000 in the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust, an investment vehicle that seeks to track bitcoin prices, in December of 2020, according to his annual financial disclosure.[15] In November 2021, he joined the board of Kalshi Inc.[16] Views and Advocacy[edit]Quintenz is known as an advocate for narrowly tailored, risk-calibrated regulation and a champion of innovation and growth in the financial technology (fintech) space. He has been a leading voice in the national debate about fintech regulation, particularly concerning cryptocurrencies.[17] Since joining a16z Crypto, Quintenz has remained an outspoken advocate for crypto-friendly policies, calling for regulations that would benefit digital-asset firms and other new technologies and financial products.[18] Education[edit]Quintenz graduated Magna Cum Laude from Duke University with a major in public policy studies. He later received an MBA from Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business, where he was inducted into the Phi Beta Gamma honors society.[19] References[edit]
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