The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is reinforcing its digital asset leadership, as recently confirmed Chair Michael Selig brings back a familiar architect of crypto derivatives oversight.
CFTC Brings Back Zaidi as Crypto Futures Agenda Accelerates
2 January 2026 - 12:13 CET
By Matt Neill
Amir Zaidi will return to the agency as chief of staff as the CFTC prepares to expand its role in crypto market regulation heading into 2026, the agency said in an announcement on 31 Dec.
Zaidi played a key role in overseeing the launch of the first CFTC-regulated bitcoin futures contracts during President Donald Trump’s first term.
The hire follows Selig’s confirmation as permanent chair and comes as the agency transitions away from the interim leadership of acting chair Caroline Pham, who departed earlier this month.
Bitcoin futures to market structure
Zaidi previously spent nearly a decade at the CFTC between 2010 and 2019, most notably as director of the Division of Market Oversight.
In that role, he oversaw derivatives exchanges, swap data repositories, and market surveillance, and was directly involved in the certification of Bitcoin futures contracts in 2017, the first federally regulated crypto products in the US.
He also served as legal counsel and policy adviser to former chair Chris Giancarlo and commissioner Scott O’Malia, giving him experience across both the technical and political dimensions of the agency’s work.
After leaving the CFTC, Zaidi joined interdealer broker TP ICAP as global head of compliance, where he ran a large international compliance function spanning regulated trading venues, brokerage activity, and market infrastructure. That role placed him at the centre of how traditional wholesale markets manage regulatory risk, capital rules, and cross-border supervision.
Selig framed Zaidi’s return as essential as Congress moves closer to sending digital asset market structure legislation to the White House. Zaidi said he would provide a “steady hand” as the commission implements a pro-innovation agenda during a period of rapid change in derivatives markets.
Positioning the CFTC for 2026
Zaidi’s appointment comes at a pivotal moment for the CFTC.
Over the past year, the agency has pushed aggressively to bring crypto activity onshore using existing commodity authorities, from authorising spot crypto trading on futures exchanges to easing restrictions on prediction markets and launching pilots around tokenised collateral.
With Selig now confirmed and Pham’s acting tenure concluded, the commission is entering 2026 with a clearer leadership structure and a stronger mandate.
Lawmakers are increasingly looking to the CFTC to take the lead on non-security digital assets, particularly Bitcoin and other commodities, while the Securities and Exchange Commission focuses on token classification and investor protection.
