Senate Agriculture Committee Schedules Hearing for Mike Selig to Lead CFTC
Mike Selig, head of the SEC’s Crypto Task Force, faces a Senate confirmation hearing on November 19, 2025, amid legislative moves to expand CFTC authority over crypto spot markets.
The Senate Agriculture Committee will hold a confirmation hearing for Mike Selig, President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), on November 19, 2025. Selig, currently serving as chief counsel of the SEC’s Crypto Task Force, was nominated after former CFTC commissioner Brian Quintenz withdrew from consideration. If confirmed, Selig would replace acting chair Caroline Pham and steer the agency as Congress works on a crypto market structure bill that could grant the CFTC authority over cryptocurrency spot trading. The legislative process still requires markup hearings in both the Senate Agriculture and Banking Committees, a Senate floor vote, and House passage, potentially extending into early 2026.
- CFTC (U.S. derivatives regulator): The Commodity Futures Trading Commission, a federal agency overseeing U.S. derivatives markets including futures, swaps, and certain digital assets.
- Crypto Spot Trading: The buying and selling of actual cryptocurrency assets for immediate delivery, as opposed to derivatives like futures or options.
- Crypto Task Force: A specialized unit within the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission focusing on regulatory oversight and enforcement in the cryptocurrency sector.