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Sujha Sundararajan
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Caroline Pham, the Acting Chair of the US derivatives regulator Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), is set to leave the agency to join the private sector.
Pham will be heading to crypto payments firm MoonPay, once the Senate confirms her replacement with Trump’s pick Mike Selig.
“I’m looking forward to a successful confirmation of Mike Selig as the CFTC’s next chairman and a smooth transition once he is sworn in,” Pham wrote on X. “The future is bright. Onward and upward.”
Caroline Pham’s Digital Asset Oversight at CFTC
Pham served the CFTC for four years, including her final year as acting chair of the derivatives regulator. Prior to serving as Commissioner, Pham was a Managing Director at Citigroup heading market structure for strategic initiatives.
During her tenure at the CFTC, she oversaw regulatory innovation and groundbreaking digital asset policy.
She pressed aggressively on the pro-crypto plans set out by President Trump during his executive orders, launching the “crypto sprint.” The initiative has been running in parallel with the Securities and Exchange Commission’s “Project Crypto.”
Last month, she announced a new prediction markets initiative, calling for nominations to head the CFTC arm.
Additionally, she proposed a regulatory sandbox – CFTC Digital Asset Markets Pilot Program – that lets Bitcoin, Ether and USDC serve as collateral in derivatives markets. Pham launched the program on December 8, along with new guidance on tokenized collateral.
Her successor, Mike Selig, is expected to be confirmed by the Senate this week, following a final vote. Pham’s departure to the crypto industry mirrors that of Bo Hines, former White House Crypto Council executive director, who joined Tether in August.
Similarly, in May, former CFTC commissioner Summer Mersinger left the agency to become chief executive of the crypto lobbying group Blockchain Association.
MoonPay Welcomes Pham to Head the Firm’s “Next Chapter of Growth”
In a separate announcement, payments company MoonPay announced the appointment of Pham as Chief Legal Officer and Chief Administrative Officer.
She will head the legal and administrative functions, alongside handling the firm’s policy and regulatory strategy in Washington.
Pham will “guide our next chapter of growth + compliance excellence following the conclusion of her role as Acting Chairman,” MoonPay wrote on X.
“I’m excited to join MoonPay at a pivotal moment,” Pham noted.
Her appointment comes at a time when MoonPay is expanding its enterprise stablecoin business. The payments platform is collaborating with Exodus to roll out a US dollar-backed stablecoin designed for everyday use.
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