CFTC Chairman Michael Selig established a 35-member council, largely comprised of crypto leaders, to advise on the regulatory framework for blockchain, AI, and emerging financial technologies.
The CFTC chairman established a 35-member advisory board, bringing together a host of crypto giants. Photo: The Block
On February 13th, Michael Selig, Chairman of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission ( CFTC ), officially established the Innovation Advisory Committee (IAC), comprising 35 members, the majority of whom come from the crypto and financial markets. This council will advise the CFTC on how to oversee disruptive technologies such as blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI).
Here is the full roster of the @CFTC Innovation Advisory Committee.👇 pic.twitter.com/J8YwpXQ8I9
— Mike Selig (@ChairmanSelig) February 12, 2026
According to the announcement, the IAC was launched in January, replacing the former Technology Advisory Committee. Initially comprising 12 core members, the list was later expanded to 35 on February 12th. Mr. Selig stated:
“The IAC will help ensure that the CFTC’s decisions accurately reflect market realities, while also establishing clear rules for the ‘Golden Age of the U.S. Financial Markets’.”
Crypto holds a majority on the board.
- Of the 35 members, approximately 20 have direct connections to companies operating in the crypto sector, along with at least 5 representatives from prediction markets.
- The list includes many familiar faces from the cryptocurrency industry such as:
Brian Armstrong – CEO Coinbase
Brad Garlinghouse – CEO Ripple
Anatoly Yakovenko – CEO Solana Labs
Hayden Adams – CEO of Uniswap Labs
Sergey Nazarov – CEOChainlink Labs
Tyler Winklevoss – CEO Gemini
Kris Marszalek – CEO Crypto.com
Vladimir Tenev – CEO Robinhood
Peter Mintzberg – CEO Grayscale
Nathan McCauley – CEO Anchorage Digital
Peter Smith – CEO Blockchain.com
- In addition, there were representatives from crypto investment funds such as Chris Dixon ( a16z crypto), along with companies like Paradigm and Framework Ventures.
- In the prediction markets section, the board includes Shayne Coplan (CEO of Polymarket ) and Tarek Mansour (CEO of Kalshi ).
- In addition, IAC also brings together leaders from traditional financial institutions such as CME Group, Nasdaq, Cboe Global Markets, ICE, DTCC, and Options Clearing Corporation.
A more open management approach towards crypto.
- The establishment of the IAC comes as the CFTC, under Selig, is adopting a more open approach to digital assets. The agency is currently working with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Project Crypto , an initiative aimed at standardizing the classification and supervision of digital assets.
According to the CFTC, the council will advise on how to oversee disruptive technologies such as blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI). It will also provide commercial, economic, and practical insights into emerging products, platforms, and business models in the financial market, thereby helping the CFTC build a regulatory framework that aligns with the industry's operational realities.
- This council is purely advisory in nature, has no authority to issue regulations, and was established to replace the former Technology Advisory Committee. Selig stated:
“By bringing together representatives from all corners of the market, the IAC will be a great asset to the Commission in its efforts to modernize regulation for the innovations of today and tomorrow,”
- The strong presence of crypto leaders on an official CFTC advisory board demonstrates the growing Vai of the digital asset industry in the structure of the US financial market. Although the IAC is only advisory in nature, the composition of this board may reveal some aspects of the CFTC's policy direction in the coming period.
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