MoonPay Makes Power Move: Hires CFTC’s Pham to Head Legal & Admin
Crypto's on-ramp just got a regulatory upgrade.
The Regulatory Hire
MoonPay isn't playing defense—it's building a legal fortress. The crypto payments giant snagged Caroline Pham straight from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. She's not just another lawyer; she was a commissioner. That's like hiring the referee to coach your team.
Why This Isn't Just Paperwork
This move screams preparation. Pham spent years inside the machine that polices derivatives and commodities. Now, she'll run the legal and admin show for a company that wants to be the front door for mainstream crypto buying. Think fewer regulatory speed bumps and more open highways for user onboarding.
The Bigger Picture
It's a classic fintech pivot: grow fast, then hire the very regulators you used to nervously email. It signals maturity and a serious play for the institutional crowd. After all, nothing says 'we're legitimate' like poaching top-tier government talent—a move so corporate it would make a traditional banker smirk, if they weren't busy watching their own lunch get eaten.
The game isn't about dodging rules anymore. It's about writing them. And MoonPay just hired a former editor.
Strategic hire for MoonPay
MoonPay CEO Ivan Soto-Wright emphasized Pham’s regulatory expertise as crucial for the company’s growth strategy. He said, “Her unparalleled experience, which combines regulatory expertise, traditional finance, and a DEEP understanding of market structure, makes her the perfect leader to guide MoonPay through our next chapter of growth and compliance excellence.”
Soto-Wright also shared a post on X stating, “Her leadership at the CFTC has shaped policies that expand financial freedom and crypto innovation. Now we’ll turn that progress into real outcomes for users and partners globally.”
beyond thrilled to welcome @CarolineDPham to @moonpay
her leadership at @cftc has shaped policies that expand financial freedom and crypto innovation
now we’ll turn that progress into real outcomes for users and partners globally
we’re still just getting started……
Pham’s move follows the nomination of Michael Selig by President Donald TRUMP to become the next CFTC Chair. A confirmation hearing for Selig is scheduled this week, though Pham’s official start date at MoonPay is not yet confirmed.
Pham’s contributions to crypto regulations
Pham, who was appointed as Acting Chair in January 2025, has played a significant role in shaping U.S. digital asset policy throughout the year. During her tenure, she launched initiatives under the CFTC’s “Crypto Sprint,” aimed at clarifying regulations for the cryptocurrency industry and modernizing market oversight.
Last week, she announced the agency WOULD withdraw guidance on the “actual delivery” of digital assets, describing it as “outdated and overly complex.” Earlier this month, she also oversaw the first regulator-approved spot crypto products trading through a CFTC-registered futures exchange.
Background and past roles
Before joining the CFTC, Pham served as a Managing Director at Citigroup, where she held several leadership roles, including Head of Market Structure for Strategic Initiatives. She was sworn in as a CFTC Commissioner in 2022 and was unanimously elected Acting Chair in early 2025.
During her time at the commission, she introduced a modernization agenda covering perpetual-style futures, extended trading hours, prediction markets, tokenized collateral guidance, and the launch of the Digital Asset Markets Pilot Program.
Revolving door scrutiny in the industry
Pham’s departure from the CFTC has highlighted the ongoing “revolving door” between government regulatory agencies and the cryptocurrency industry, a practice that has drawn scrutiny from lawmakers, including Senator Elizabeth Warren.
Warren has already expressed concerns that government officials may use their government positions to get employment in crypto businesses or lobbying organizations, citing examples of more than 200 officials who have moved to work in the private sector in digital asset positions.
Other attempts of this nature have happened recently, such as the departure of former CFTC Commissioner Summer Mersinger who joined the Blockchain Association as CEO in May 2025.
The MOVE to MoonPay by Pham follows the ongoing expansion and regulatory trends in the industry, which supports the growing integration of U.S. policymakers and the digital asset industry.
Her experience in both traditional finance and regulatory oversight positions her to influence compliance and policy strategy as the crypto sector continues to evolve.
Also Read: Bitnomial Secures CFTC Approval for Regulated Prediction Markets
