Mike Seleck has been confirmed to the Senate and is set to be sworn in as the chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

On this special edition of Coin Desk Daily, we look at what you need to know about the man who's now leading the nation's derivatives markets.

Utility or privacy.

The transparency of traditional blockchains forces a difficult choice.

Break free from this limitation with midnight.

Mike Seling's journey began in the office of the former CFTC chair, Chris John Carlo,

the man the industry affectionately calls Cryptodad. After a successful run in private practice,

where he became a partner at Wilkie Far and Gallagher, advising blockchain pioneers,

CILIG returned to the public sector in early 2025. Serving as chief counsel to the SEC's Crypto Task Force under Chair Paul Atkins, he helped draft the blueprint for what the administration

is now calling

the golden age of American digital assets. What makes you like a favorite in the crypto space?

Well, he's been a fierce critic of regulation by enforcement. During the landmark ripple case,

he famously argued that XRP itself is just computer code, calling it a, quote, fungible commodity, no different from

gold or whiskey. In his Senate testimony, Seleuk outlined a clear three-part agenda and staff

lore. He promised to eliminate the agency's unwritten rules and opaque no action letters that have

long frustrated market participants. Tougher enforcement, he vowed to be a cop on the

beat against fraud and the co-mingling of funds, specifically pointing to the FTX collapse

as a warning. And principles-based regulation, Seelig wants to trade 20th century rigid laws for

flexible rules that can actually adapt to 21st century code.

As Seelig takes over, her acting chair, Caroline Pham, is moving on.

After a year spent modernizing the agency through her crypto sprint initiative,

she's heading to the private sector as chief legal officer at Moon Pay.

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