Caroline Pham, acting chair of the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), has announced the agency will be holding public roundtable discussions on market issues, including those related to digital assets.
In a Jan. 27 notice, the CFTC said the commission would be scheduling roundtable events “over the next several months,” dealing with conflicts of interest, prediction markets and digital assets. According to the acting chair, the discussions would follow engagement with industry leaders and market participants.
“The CFTC will get back to basics by hosting staff roundtables that will develop a robust administrative record with studies, data, expert reports, and public input,” said Pham. “A holistic approach to evolving market trends will help to establish clear rules of the road and safeguards that will promote US economic growth and American competitiveness.”
The announcement came less than a week after CFTC commissioners voted for Pham to be the regulator’s acting chair following the inauguration of US President Donald Trump. Pham has been serving as a CFTC commissioner since April 2022. It’s unclear at the time of publication whom Trump intends to nominate to serve as chair.
Related: CFTC’s Pham sweeps agency’s top brass days after Trump appointment
Former CFTC Chair Rostin Behnam, who stepped down from his position on Jan. 20, will remain at the commission until Feb. 7. In one of his final statements as head of the regulator, he urged policymakers to address regulatory gaps on crypto.
New administration, new approach to crypto?
The CFTC’s authority to regulate crypto could change should US lawmakers in Congress move forward with legislation to differentiate how the agency and the Securities and Exchange Commission handle digital assets. One of the proposed market structure bills, the Financial Innovation and Technology for the 21st Century, passed the House of Representatives in May 2024 and is expected to go to the Senate for a vote.
Trump nominated former SEC Commissioner Paul Atkins to replace Gary Gensler as chair of the commission, which had three out of five members serving at the time of publication. Until Atkins’ Senate nomination hearing and potential confirmation, SEC commissioner Mark Uyeda will likely be serving as acting chair.
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