U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chairman Mike Selig unveiled the agency’s new Innovation Committee, aimed at guiding the regulation of emerging technologies like blockchain and AI that are transforming financial markets.
The Innovation Advisory Committee replaces the Technology Advisory Committee and seeks to integrate top crypto voices into the CFTC process to shape practical, forward-looking market regulations, Selig said Monday.
The new committee will advise the CFTC on “the commercial, economic and practical considerations of emerging products, platforms and business models in the financial markets so that it can develop clear rules of conduct for the golden age of U.S. financial markets,” Selig said.
“Innovators are leveraging technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain and cloud computing to modernize existing financial systems and create entirely new ones. »
Blockchain is changing finance by enabling faster, cheaper and more transparent transactions in markets that can operate 24/7/365, while AI analyzes data sets more efficiently to optimize trading and risk management, among other things.
Source: Mike Selig
The CFTC’s latest initiative follows in the footsteps of the Securities and Exchange Commission in taking a more tech-friendly regulatory approach to attracting innovators.
Industry leaders will shape CFTC views
Selig will sponsor the new committee and intends to name the 12 CEO Innovation Council participants as founding members.
Among them are top crypto executives, including Gemini CEO Tyler Winklevoss, Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan, Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour, Crypto.com CEO Kris Marszalek, and Kraken co-CEO Arjun Sethi.
Among traditional financial firms, executives including Intercontinental Exchange CEO Jeff Sprecher, Cboe Global Markets CEO Craig Donohue and Nasdaq CEO Adena Friedman also made the list.
Selig is also seeking applications for additional IAC members, with applications open until January 31, 2026.
The CFTC said it would also consider the views of regulators, academia and public interest groups.
The U.S. government and the private sector must share a common goal (A16z)
Technology-focused venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) said last Friday that crypto innovation will be key to securing America’s future and winning the next century.
A16z said alignment between the US government and the private sector is crucial to defending US interests, warning that failure could cost the country its dominance:
“If America fails to win technologically, it will lose economically, militarily, geopolitically and culturally. And the whole world will lose too.”
