Who is Michael Selig, President Trump’s new candidate for CFTC chairman?

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) will soon have a new sheriff, but it won’t be former Commissioner Brian Quintenz.

Michael Selig: Cryptocurrency lawyer nominated as CFTC Chairman

Brian Quintenz, a former CFTC commissioner and current head of global policy for cryptocurrencies at Silicon Valley venture firm Andreessen Horowitz, has been steadily preparing to become President Trump’s new CFTC chairman. However, Quintenz was removed from the running after clashes with the Winklevoss twins over a seven-year feud between regulators and Gemini, the cryptocurrency exchange they own.

read more: CFTC Chairman Brian Quintenz’s nomination postponed again

Meet Michael Selig, Chief Counsel of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Crypto Task Force and an experienced crypto attorney. Just last month, the president nominated Mr. Selig to the coveted position of CFTC chairman, and on Thursday, Mr. Selig cleared the first hurdle. The Senate Agriculture Committee, which has legal oversight over products containing virtual currencies such as Bitcoin, advanced Selig’s nomination to the full Senate on a 12-11 vote. He will now face intense scrutiny from lawmakers, and confirmation could come within weeks.

Mr. Selig is no stranger to the CFTC. He served as the organization’s secretary in 2014 under former president J. Christopher “Crypto Dad” Giancarlo. In 2015, he accepted an associate position at the New York-based law firm Cadwallader, Wickersham & Taft. By 2018, he moved to Perkins Coie, a law firm with strong expertise in cryptocurrencies. He used that experience to get a job as an attorney at Willkie Farr & Gallagher. Giancarlo is currently a senior partner there. And while he transferred to the SEC in March 2025, he likely would have stayed there if the Winklevoss Twins hadn’t lost Quintenz.

But all’s well that ends well. Mr. Quintenz’s loss was Mr. Selig’s gain, with many prominent figures, including Mr. Giancarlo and President Trump’s crypto czar David Sachs, praising Mr. Selig as the best person to make the United States the crypto capital of the world.

“President Trump made a great choice in Mike Selig,” Sachs wrote in X. “Mike not only helped advance the President’s crypto policy as lead advisor on the SEC Crypto Task Force, but he also brings deep experience in traditional commodity markets.”

Frequently asked questions ⚡

• Why was Michael Selig named CFTC Chairman?
  Trump nominated Selig because of his legal background specializing in cryptocurrencies and his role leading the SEC’s Crypto Task Force.
• What are the predictions for Brian Quintenz’s nomination?
  The Quintents left following tensions with the Winklevoss twins over Gemini’s seven-year dispute with the CFTC.
• How far along is Selig’s approval process?
  Mr. Selig has already cleared the Senate Agriculture Committee and now awaits a full confirmation vote in the Senate.
• Why is Selig’s appointment important to the crypto industry?
  Industry leaders say his experience positions him to advance President Trump’s goal of making the United States a global hub for digital assets.