New CFTC Chairman Mike Selig Rebuilds Innovation Committee With Crypto Industry Leaders

Mike Selig, who recently assumed his role as chairman of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), is moving quickly to reshape the agency’s approach to financial technology and digital assets. Just weeks into his tenure, Selig has announced a rebuilt Innovation Advisory Committee that will feature a strong core of cryptocurrency and fintech insiders, signaling a more proactive regulatory stance toward the evolving crypto market.

According to a statement released Monday, the reconfigured committee will initially rely on a group of “charter members” drawn from a council formed under Selig’s temporary predecessor, former Acting Chairman Caroline Pham. Pham had assembled the CEO-focused group in her final days at the agency, and Selig has opted to carry that momentum forward rather than start from scratch.

The Innovation Advisory Committee’s first lineup includes executives from major crypto firms such as Gemini, Kraken, Bitnomial, Crypto.com, and Bullish, the parent company of CoinDesk. High-profile industry figures like Gemini co-founder Tyler Winklevoss and Kraken executive Arjun Sethi are among the names continuing on from the earlier council. The group also reflects a broader view of market innovation, with leaders from prediction market platforms Polymarket and Kalshi, alongside executives from established financial institutions including Nasdaq, CME Group, Intercontinental Exchange, and Cboe Global Markets.

Selig emphasized that the committee will play a key role in helping the CFTC craft “fit-for-purpose” market structure regulations. In his statement, he highlighted technologies such as blockchain, artificial intelligence, and cloud computing as central to modernizing legacy financial systems and creating entirely new financial models. The revamped committee is based on the former Technology Advisory Committee and will be one of five external advisory groups supporting the regulator with specialized expertise.

As the CFTC is widely expected to be a leading U.S. regulator for cryptocurrency markets, the agency is also inviting public participation. It has called for additional nominations for committee members and suggestions for discussion topics, with submissions open through the end of January. This move underscores the commission’s intent to engage closely with industry stakeholders as it shapes the future of crypto regulation in the United States.