Winklevoss Twins Urged Trump to Block Brian Quintenz’s CFTC Nomination—Here’s Why It Matters
The Winklevoss twins—crypto's most infamous power duo—just played political hardball. Tyler and Cameron reportedly lobbied the Trump administration to sink Brian Quintenz's CFTC nomination. No reasons given, but the move reeks of regulatory chess.
Why care? The CFTC shapes crypto's playground. Quintenz—a former commissioner—was seen as a potential swing vote on everything from Bitcoin ETFs to stablecoin rules. Now, the twins' maneuver could tilt the regulatory battlefield.
Bonus jab: Wall Street still thinks 'blockchain' is a yoga pose. Meanwhile, crypto's kingmakers are out here playing 4D chess with DC insiders.
Winklevoss call stalls Senate vote
That phone call hit hard enough to delay the vote. The Senate Agriculture Committee, which was about to push the nomination forward, stopped everything on Monday after a request from the WHITE House.
A spokesperson for the administration allegedly said later that TRUMP still supports Quintenz for the role, but inside the West Wing, it’s a fight now. Other officials are pushing Trump to stick with him, even as one of his closest crypto backers wants him gone.
White House spokesperson Liz Huston confirmed the official line in a written statement: “Brian Quintenz remains President Trump’s nominee to serve as chairman of the CFTC. He will help execute President Trump’s mission of making America the crypto capital of the world and we look forward to his swift confirmation.”
The twins aren’t speaking publicly yet, but their decision proves just how much access some crypto executives now have inside Trump’s Washington.
Quintenz was originally picked back in February. At the time, both brothers celebrated the move online. On X, Cameron called him “exactly the leader the CFTC needs.” Tyler added, “Great choice for crypto and for America.” But since then, things have changed.
Past tensions between Gemini and the CFTC resurface
Part of that shift traces back to what happened earlier this year. In January, Gemini agreed to pay $5 million in a settlement with the CFTC. The case centered around claims that the company gave misleading information about one of its crypto products.
The fine wasn’t the end of it. Gemini later fired back in a letter to the agency’s internal watchdog, saying some of the CFTC’s attorneys acted “with a selfish desire to advance their careers by misusing their offices to obtain a high-profile ‘win’ against Gemini.”
That case might have left a mark. While the Winklevoss brothers haven’t said publicly that this is the reason for their switch on Quintenz, the timing lines up. The fact that Brian had ties to the agency during their clash is not something they’ve forgotten. And they clearly don’t think he’s the one to fix the culture there.
Brian spent the last few years working on crypto policy at Andreessen Horowitz, one of the most powerful VC firms in Silicon Valley. He also held a board seat at Kalshi, a startup focused on prediction markets. That background helped get him wide support in both the traditional finance world and from crypto insiders… until now.
Historically, the CFTC has handled commodities like corn and oil, but crypto has pulled it into a much larger role. Trump’s current plan involves giving the agency direct oversight over tokens like Bitcoin and ether.
That WOULD make the next chair a major power player in crypto regulation. Tyler and Cameron want someone who will go into the CFTC and do more than just keep things running. They want someone who will clean house.
The nomination is still technically active. But after the call from the Winklevoss twins and the canceled vote, everything is now on pause. Whether Trump sticks with Brian or drops him remains to be seen.
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