Former CFTC chair, 'Crypto Dad,' joins law firm to push for digital dollar
Former Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Chairman Christopher Giancarlo is set to join New York-headquartered law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher as a senior counsel.
“I have spent the past three and a half decades advising and building global businesses and regulatory frameworks in the juncture of trading markets, technology and law,” he said in an email announcement. “I am delighted to join a firm that is a center of excellence in all three areas.”
Dubbed “Crypto Dad” by crypto enthusiasts, Giancarlo was appointed CFTC Commissioner during President Barack Obama’s administration and completed his five-year term in July 2019. He gained Internet fame in 2018 for writing to the U.S. Senate that lawmakers should respect the next generation’s wishes and embrace Bitcoin because its adoption might be inevitable.
He said in the email announcement that in addition to working with Willkie clients, he would continue making impacts on public policy through writing and personal service on public and private boards. Two of his key focuses, he said, would be to advocate for the development of a blockchain-based digital dollar and the replacement of the London Inter-bank Offered Rate (LIBOR) with an American lending benchmark.
“I expect soon to announce additional leadership roles in enterprises engaged in financial trading markets and digital commerce,” he said.
