The political battle over crypto regulation in the U.S. is heating up. Brian Quintenz, nominated by President Donald Trump to chair the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), has publicly accused billionaire twins Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss of attempting to sabotage his nomination by going directly to the president.
Leaked Private Messages
On Wednesday evening, Quintenz released screenshots of text messages exchanged with Tyler at the end of July. These conversations followed a $5 million settlement between the CFTC and Gemini, the exchange run by the brothers.
According to Quintenz, the Winklevoss twins pushed him for commitments regarding the agency’s future approach, which he refused. Days later, they allegedly turned to Trump, urging him to block the nomination.
“I never intended to make private correspondence public,” Quintenz wrote. “But out of loyalty to the president, and concern he may have been misled, I decided to show exactly what Tyler was pressing for. I made no promises.”
Winklevosses Pressed for “Cultural Reform” of the CFTC
The leaked texts show Tyler Winklevoss sending Quintenz a document Gemini had submitted to the CFTC’s oversight office, accusing the agency of a “seven-year trophy hunt.”
Tyler asked whether Quintenz would “align with President Trump and the administration’s mandate to end the dispute and remedy its harm.” He added that “cultural reform, including redressing what happened to us, should be a top priority.”
Quintenz replied that he planned to conduct a fair and independent review of the agency’s divisions and staff to determine whether misconduct had occurred. Dissatisfied, the Winklevosses allegedly contacted Trump shortly afterward.
White House Puts Nomination on Hold
The situation escalated to the point where the White House requested a delay in the Senate Agriculture Committee’s vote on Quintenz’s nomination. Committee chair Sen. John Boozman confirmed the postponement, though the administration gave no detailed explanation.
This marks a sharp turn of events — just months ago, Quintenz’s confirmation was expected to sail through with broad support. Even the Winklevoss twins had publicly congratulated him when Trump first announced the nomination.
The Stakes: Future of U.S. Crypto Oversight
The controversy unfolds at a pivotal moment. Congress is debating legislation that would significantly expand the CFTC’s authority over cryptocurrencies. An agency that once focused on commodities like oil and corn could soon gain direct oversight of tokens such as Bitcoin and Ethereum.
The Gemini-CFTC dispute dates back to the Biden administration and culminated in last year’s settlement. Gemini accused the CFTC of “career opportunism” and abusing its authority. Tyler forwarded that letter to Quintenz during their private exchanges — and now it has become the center of a political scandal threatening not just his nomination but the broader direction of U.S. crypto regulation.
#CFTC , #TRUMP , #WinklevossTwins , #Gemini , #CryptoRegulation
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