Quick take:
- Brian Quintenz was nominated by both Presidents Obama and Trump to be a Commissioner of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission
- Quintenz will be leading a16z’s bi-partisan policy efforts.
- He is also an advisory council member at Crypto.com.
a16z today announced that former U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) commissioner, Brian Quintenz, has been appointed the venture capital firm’s new head of policy.
Quitenz was nominated by both Presidents Obama and Trump to be a Commissioner of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission and left the role in September 2021 when he joined a16z as senior advisor.
His areas of interest at the CFTC have centred around market risk, appropriately calibrated capital standards, fintech (including Bitcoin futures, DLT, cyber security, and automated trading), and international harmonization of derivatives regulations.
When Quintenz first joined a16z as advisor last year, web3 had just gone through its first significant moment in DC with the passage of the Infrastructure Bill.
In his new role, Quintenz will be leading a16z’s bi-partisan policy efforts as the Web3 industry comes under the increased scrutiny of U.S. policymakers following the crypto fallout this year. He joins a16z’s new head of government affairs Collin McCune, head of regulatory Michele Korver and general counsel Miles Jennings as part of the policy/regulatory team.
Quintenz’s past experience leading the CFTC’s Technology Advisory Committee, and his work over the last year with founders, policymakers, and regulators have made him a trusted voice in the web3 legislative landscape, a16z said. He has helped the firm and its portfolio manage the complex regulatory landscape in the U.S.
“We have long called for and supported thoughtful legislation, but it has never been more crucial than today. With multiple bills being worked on in both the House and the Senate, the increased activity of the SEC and CFTC, and an overall consensus from the industry, we believe that the time is now for impactful legislation,” a16z said in a statement. “With the new Congress taking office in just a couple of weeks, we couldn’t be more excited to have Brian starting today in his new full-time role to lead our efforts on Capitol Hill and join our growing policy team.”
According to his LinkedIn profile, Quintenz is also an advisory council member at Crypto.com. He has also worked in the financial markets as the founder and managing principal of Saeculum Capital Management and a senior associate for Hill-Townsend Capital, a long-short, bank sector-focused hedge fund.
Prior to working in the financial markets, Quintenz was a senior policy aide from 2001-2007, in the House of Representatives for Congresswoman Deborah Pryce.
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