CoinDesk Podcast Network How Caroline Pham’s Crypto Sprint Set The Stage For the CFTC
Dec 18, 2025
Caroline Pham, the Acting Chairman of the U.S. CFTC, shares her insights on modernizing crypto regulation and the highlights of the agency's 'Crypto Sprint'. She discusses the U.S.'s position as the global crypto capital and the importance of collaboration with the SEC to enhance market oversight. Pham reflects on her journey in public service and reveals her predictions for the crypto landscape in 2026, emphasizing a significant institutional push into the sector soon. A compelling conversation about the future of crypto and regulatory evolution!
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CFTC's 12-Month Crypto Sprint Delivered
- The CFTC ran a 12-month 'crypto sprint' to deliver on the U.S. crypto roadmap and use existing authority to bring assets inside regulation.
- Key goals were spot listings on futures exchanges, tokenized collateral, and technical rule modernizations for blockchain.
Pham's Personal Crypto Journey
- Caroline Pham traced her crypto journey back to 2013 when the Bitcoin Foundation first briefed the CFTC and the agency declared Bitcoin a commodity in 2015.
- She later worked in banking at Citi, gaining hands-on experience launching digital asset products that informed her public-sector work.
Why The U.S. Is Crypto Capital
- Pham argues the U.S. is already the crypto capital because regulated futures markets provide safekeeping, market integrity, and transparency.
- She says listing on U.S. futures exchanges will attract institutions due to familiar risk controls and plumbing.