Crypto Execs Recruited by CFTC to New Tech Advisory Group

Executives from some of crypto’s top firms have been tapped by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to be a part of a new technology advisory group.

In a new announcement, the CFTC says it’s shuffling up the membership of its Technology Advisory Committee (TAC), which was created in 1999 to advise the Commission on complex issues in regard to technology, law, policy and finance.

The top US regulator says that Ava Labs’ founder & CEO Emin Gün Sirer, Fireblocks’ co-founder and CEO Michael Schaulov and Circle’s vice president of global policy Corey Then have been added to the new advisory group.

According to the CFTC, the advisory group assists the regulator in identifying and understanding the impacts and implications of technological innovation in financial services and markets.

“The TAC may inform the Commission’s consideration of technology-related issues in support of its mission to ensure the integrity of derivatives and commodities markets and the achievement of other public interest objectives. The TAC also may provide advice on technological investments that could support the Commission in meeting its surveillance and enforcement responsibilities.”

The CFTC also named Ari Redbord, former White House official and head of legal and government affairs at blockchain analytics firm TRM Labs, as the Vice Chair of the Advisory.

CFTC Commissioner Christy Goldsmith Romero said:

“With our markets facing some of the most challenging and innovative times for next-generation technology, I am honored that the new members of the Technology Advisory Committee have agreed to this public service. To protect our markets from increasingly-sophisticated cyber attacks, to ensure responsible development of digital assets in a way that protects customers, and to ensure that the implications of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence are well understood, the Commission requires advice from technology experts.

These experts can provide us foundational knowledge about the technology, as well as the complex and nuanced impacts and implications of technology on financial markets. That’s why I’ve reimagined TAC membership to bring together well-respected and well-known leaders, thinkers, builders, and doers from the technology industry, federal leaders, academia, and public interest representatives. I am especially honored to have Carole House serve as Chair, and Ari Redbord as Vice Chair—both highly regarded for their exceptional federal service and expertise in complex technological issues.”