- CFTC Acting Chair Caroline Pham plans to join MoonPay after leaving the agency.
- She will serve as chief legal officer and chief administrative officer.
- Pham’s move underscores closer ties between regulators and the crypto industry.
Caroline Pham, the acting chair of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, is set to move into a new role at crypto payments firm MoonPay once her time at the agency concludes. MoonPay confirmed the transition on Wednesday, noting that Pham has long signaled her intention to step down after a permanent CFTC chair is confirmed. The move places a senior U.S. regulator directly into a leadership position within the crypto industry at a pivotal moment for regulatory clarity.
From Regulator to Crypto Executive
Pham will join MoonPay as both chief legal officer and chief administrative officer, according to the company. MoonPay CEO Ivan Soto-Wright praised her regulatory tenure, saying her leadership helped shape policies that expanded financial freedom and encouraged crypto innovation. Pham had first indicated plans to join MoonPay back in August, though the timing of her official start remains dependent on leadership changes at the CFTC.
Transition Hinges on New CFTC Leadership
President Trump’s nominee to lead the CFTC, Mike Selig, is scheduled to face a confirmation hearing this week. Until that process is complete, Pham will remain in her acting role. A MoonPay spokesperson confirmed that no official start date has been set, underscoring that the transition is still tied to developments in Washington.
A Year of Crypto-Focused Policy Shifts
During her tenure, Pham pushed the CFTC toward a more proactive stance on digital assets. She led several initiatives under the agency’s “Crypto Sprint,” aimed at simplifying and clarifying rules for the industry. Just last week, Pham announced the withdrawal of guidance related to the “actual delivery” of digital assets, calling it outdated and overly complex. Earlier this month, she also revealed that Bitnomial became the first exchange approved to list regulator-sanctioned spot crypto products.
Building Bridges Between Regulators and Industry
Pham also launched a CEO Innovation Council to deepen the agency’s engagement with crypto and financial markets. The council’s first participants included Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan, Nasdaq CEO Adena Friedman, and Gemini co-founder Tyler Winklevoss. The effort reflected her broader approach of working directly with industry leaders rather than regulating from a distance.
What the Move Signals
Pham’s transition to MoonPay highlights a growing trend of regulators bringing firsthand policy experience into crypto firms. For MoonPay, it strengthens legal and regulatory leadership as the company scales globally. For the industry, it reinforces the idea that regulatory expertise is becoming just as valuable as technical innovation.
