a16z appoints ex-CFTC commissioner Quintenz head of policy

Quick Take

  • Former CFTC commissioner Brian Quintenz is made a16z head of policy.
  • Quintenz joined a16z last year as an advisor.

Brian Quintenz has been made head of policy at crypto and web3 venture firm a16z. The former Commodity Futures Trading Commission official joined the investment group last year as an advisor, the firm said in a statement.

Quintenz's elevation to the role comes as U.S. lawmakers prepare fresh regulations to oversee the crypto industry. The CFTC is among agencies jostling for additional powers to police the sector after a spate of high-profile failures left investors in the U.S. and elsewhere nursing billions of dollars in losses.

The ex-CFTC Commissioner has been instrumental in helping a16z manage Washington's policy landscape, the firm said. ''The last year has made it evident that more regulation is needed in certain areas of crypto and web3. The shape that legislation takes has yet to be determined, but it could have a massive effect on web3’s promise.''


© 2024 The Block. All Rights Reserved. This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.

TAGS
SEC

About Author

Benjamin Robertson is senior newsletter writer at The Block, based in Oxford. He covers global crypto policy and regulation news. Before joining, he worked at Bloomberg News where he wrote about crypto, regulation and finance in Hong Kong, and later reported on private equity and asset management in London. Get in touch via email at [email protected] or on Twitter at @BMMRobertson

Editor

To contact the editor of this story:
Tim Copeland at
[email protected]