The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) strengthened its advisory capabilities on Friday, adding fresh expertise to its Global Markets Advisory Committee and its various sub-groups. Caroline D. Pham, who is currently serving as Acting Chair of the CFTC, announced the selection of several prominent figures from the cryptocurrency space to serve on the Digital Asset Markets Subcommittee (DAMS).
Specifically, Pham appointed the following individuals as DAMS members: Katherine Minarik, the leading legal mind at Uniswap Labs; Ben Shwerwin, the chief legal counsel for Chainlink Labs; Avery Ching, a co-founder and the technological visionary behind Aptos Labs; and James J. Hill, a managing director and head of structured innovation at BYN. Furthermore, Scott Lucas, who heads up digital assets at JPMorgan, will serve as co-chair of DAMS, alongside Sandy Kaul, an executive vice president at Franklin Templeton.
Trump considering additional candidates for CFTC leadership
Congratulations to @chainlinklabs General Counsel Ben Sherwin on his appointment to the @CFTC’s Digital Asset Markets Subcommittee of the Global Markets Advisory Committee! 🇺🇸 @chainlink https://t.co/aqcrasmOwb
— Caroline D. Pham (@CarolineDPham) September 19, 2025
Robert Boonij, the Chief Executive Officer of Eurex, has been selected to join the GMAC as a full member. In addition, Laura Fuson, holding the position of vice president and head of futures at Cboe Global Markets, has been appointed to the GMSS. Brad Sullivan, serving as the Chief Operating Officer of ICE Futures, will contribute his expertise as a member of the Technical Issues Subcommittee (TISS), also by appointment from Pham.
CFTC Acting Chair Pham expressed appreciation for Caroline Butler’s contributions as a co-chair, highlighting her role in advancing regulatory clarity through the creation of the first U.S. digital asset taxonomy and proposals relating to tokenized non-cash collateral. Pham also noted that Scott Lucas’s extensive knowledge of distributed ledger technology and the digital asset ecosystem will be extremely beneficial to the subcommittee.
“We are excited to collaborate with the Commission and various industry partners to help build regulatory frameworks that are both clear and effective for the developing digital asset market.”
–Scott Lucas, Head of Markets Digital Assets at JPMorgan.
Kaul also commented on how GMAC and DAMS have helped President Donald Trump’s Working Group and institute the current compliance program. She pledged to keep pushing crypto innovation forward and into the mainstream with perceptive market forecasts, improving efficiency and opportunities for every investor.
Reports indicate that the Trump Administration is also evaluating alternative candidates for the position of CFTC chair, given the stalled confirmation process for the current nominee, Brian Quintenz. The administration is reportedly seeking individuals within government who have been actively involved in shaping cryptocurrency policy.
According to reporting from Bloomberg, the White House is considering Michael Selig, who currently serves as chief counsel to the SEC’s crypto task force. Tyler Williams, serving as counselor to U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on crypto matters, has also emerged as a potential candidate.
Cryptopolitan previously reported that Quintenz’s confirmation process as CFTC chair encountered obstacles after the White House requested that the Senate Agriculture Committee postpone the vote. A source claimed that Gemini co-founder Tyler Winklevoss asked Trump to either halt or delay Quintenz’s confirmation process, which led to the request.
On September 10, Quintenz stated that he suspected that the President had received incorrect information. He revealed communications showing Winklevoss’s inquiries regarding his past legal issues with the agency. He further stated that safeguarding the President’s interests and agenda outweighs any single job and expressed his willingness to support Trump’s agenda in any way he could.
CFTC announces second Crypto Sprint initiative
Together, the @SECGov’s Project Crypto and the @CFTC’s Crypto Sprint are coordinating to answer President @realDonaldTrump’s call to action for American leadership. We are going to win on crypto! 🇺🇸🫡 https://t.co/yi74rNCK16
— Caroline D. Pham (@CarolineDPham) August 21, 2025
Pham mentioned her planned resignation once the Senate confirms the new chair. It has been reported that she intends to join the crypto firm, Moonpay. In the meantime, Pham has taken steps within the CFTC to encourage the US crypto sector, including allowing overseas exchanges to conduct business in the country via the Crypto Sprint initiative.
Pham has emphasized the Trump Administration’s commitment to prioritizing the immediate trading of digital assets at the federal level. She also requested public comments from those involved in the cryptocurrency market regarding how the CFTC can improve regulations for spot crypto trading through a second Crypto Sprint. Pham believes the data would assist the agency in carefully analyzing issues for leveraged, margined, or financed retail trading on exchanges.
The first Crypto Sprint initiative, launched earlier in the month, aimed to facilitate the trading of digital asset contracts on CFTC-registered futures exchanges. The Trump Administration previously issued a comprehensive 166-page report that outlined policy recommendations for crypto regulation within the United States.
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