CFTC's Innovation Panel Taps Crypto Heavyweights — Could It Finally Clarify Rules?

Will the CFTC’s new advisory committee bring clearer rules for crypto? The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has unveiled a high-profile Innovation Advisory Committee (IAC) designed to help the agency keep pace with rapidly evolving markets — and the membership lineup signals a serious push to engage the crypto industry. Announced on Feb. 13, the IAC gathers leaders from crypto, prediction markets, sports betting and traditional finance. Crypto figures named to the panel include Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong, Uniswap founder Hayden Adams, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse, Chainlink Labs’ Sergey Nazarov, and Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko. Prediction-market founders Shayne Coplan (Polymarket) and Tarek Mansour (Kalshi) are also on the list, alongside executives from FanDuel and DraftKings. The committee balances these voices with incumbents from traditional finance — such as DTCC CEO Frank LaSalla, London Stock Exchange CEO David Schwimmer, and Nasdaq CEO Adena Friedman — plus academics and industry groups to round out the perspectives. CFTC Chair Mike Selig framed the move as an “energizing moment” for the agency, saying the IAC will help ensure the CFTC’s rules “reflect market realities” and help “future-proof” U.S. markets. He emphasized the committee’s role in shaping “fit-for-purpose” regulation for breakthroughs in blockchain and AI, adding that by “bringing together participants from every corner of the marketplace, the IAC will be a major asset for the Commission as we work to modernize our rules and regulations for the innovations of today and tomorrow.” The timing matters. The CFTC recently reversed a Biden-era prohibition on event contracts tied to sports and political outcomes — a signal Selig described as a commitment to “lawful innovation.” That rollback, coupled with the IAC’s crypto-heavy roster, has been interpreted as a broader pro-innovation pivot under the current administration. Industry reaction was immediate and upbeat. Uniswap’s Hayden Adams tweeted that the previous CFTC “only wanted to talk via subpoenas and enforcement,” calling the IAC’s composition — “lots of builders” — a promising sign. Chainlink’s Sergey Nazarov predicted the committee could be bullish for tokenization, DeFi and crypto broadly. What this could mean: the IAC gives the CFTC a direct pipeline to builders, exchanges and intermediaries helping to shape practical, market-informed policy. If the committee’s advice translates into clearer, adaptive rules, it could lower regulatory uncertainty for crypto firms, expand mainstream adoption of tokenization, and influence how prediction markets and other digital-asset products are regulated in the U.S. Source: X (Sergey Nazarov) Disclaimer: AMBCrypto's content is informational and not investment advice. Trading, buying, or selling cryptocurrencies is high risk; readers should do their own research before making any decisions. © 2026 AMBCrypto Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news