
Outgoing US Commodity Futures Buying and selling Fee commissioner Kristin Johnson says she can be leaving the regulator subsequent week, on Wednesday, Sept. 3, after saying earlier this 12 months she’d depart the company earlier than 2026 after finishing her time period.
Johnson mentioned in an announcement on Tuesday she thought-about it an “honor and privilege” to work as a monetary market regulator and feels “impressed to dig in and do extra” whereas she appears to be like for “new methods to be of service to prospects, markets, and our nation.”
She cited her work proposing initiatives for evaluating cyber threats and the combination of synthetic intelligence in monetary markets as explicit excessive factors of her time with the CFTC.
Johnson is the CFTC’s sole Democrat commissioner, who joined in March 2022 after being nominated by former US President Joe Biden.
Her exit will depart the regulator with a virtually empty panel of commissioners, which might gradual its work in regulating the crypto market. Solely appearing CFTC Chair Caroline Pham will head the company, who can even depart as soon as Brian Quintenz, President Donald Trump’s choose to steer the regulator, is confirmed.
CFTC ought to give attention to progress, client safety
Sooner or later, Johnson mentioned CFTC employees ought to obtain the assist and investments wanted to achieve success, particularly when “such vital adjustments to markets and market construction are contemplated.”
She additionally reiterated that crypto should function inside a framework of accountability and oversight, and that the fee can prioritize progress whereas defending market stability and prospects from fraud.
“Sustainable progress is determined by, or higher said, is constructed upon a regulatory framework that ensures markets stay resilient within the face of volatility, uncertainty, and stress,” she mentioned.
“The targets of progress and market integrity aren’t mutually unique. There isn’t any true battle between advancing the potential for progress and preserving market stability or integrity.”
Vacancies might gradual regulatory work
Together with the Securities and Alternate Fee, the CFTC has dealt with particular regulatory and enforcement points associated to crypto. Congressional Republicans have additionally been making an attempt to cross legal guidelines giving the CFTC larger oversight over the sector.
The CFTC’s first “crypto dash” assertion on Aug. 1 mentioned it could work carefully with the SEC to create a rulemaking course of and use “their present authorities to supply fulsome regulatory readability.”
One commissioner can nonetheless act with the authority to advance rulemakings and oversee all Fee actions beneath the Commodity Alternate Act.

Nonetheless, outgoing commissioner Christy Goldsmith Romero mentioned in Might that the exodus of the company’s prime brass is “not a fantastic scenario” for crypto laws as a result of it leaves a much less numerous pool of opinions.
Former CFTC Chair Rostin Behnam resigned on Jan. 20, when the Trump administration took over, whereas Summer season Mersinger and Christy Goldsmith Romero stepped down in Might.
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5 commissioners are purported to make up the CFTC, and not more than three may be from the identical political occasion.
Quintenz affirmation nonetheless in limbo
Trump’s choose for CFTC chair — Brian Quintenz — stays in limbo after the White Home intervened to postpone a Senate vote on his nomination in late July.
A number of crypto advocacy teams have known as for the affirmation of Quintenz, arguing {that a} everlasting chair was crucial for the commodities regulator to meet its crypto targets.
An August report additionally instructed that Gemini co-founders Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss pressed Trump to rethink Quintenz’s nomination, claiming he wouldn’t absolutely enact the president’s crypto agenda as CFTC chair.
Quintenz served as a CFTC commissioner beneath Trump from 2017 to 2021, after being nominated by former US President Obama in 2016.
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