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Ex-CFTC Chair Chris Giancarlo Joins Digital Asset’s Board of Directors

The former regulator will advise the company on a variety of subjects, including asset tokenization, distributed ledger technology and regulatory developments.

(Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
(Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Former Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) chairman J. Christopher Giancarlo has joined Digital Asset’s board of directors and will advise the smart contracts-focused provider of software and services for financial services on a range of blockchain issues.

  • According to a Tuesday press release, Giancarlo will provide guidance to Digital Assets’ leadership on “asset tokenization, distributed ledger technology (DLT) advancement and the regulatory and monetary developments impacting [the cryptocurrency] space.”
  • Affectionately called “Crypto Dad” by many in the cryptocurrency industry for his crypto-friendly stance as a regulator, Giancarlo has held a number of positions in the crypto industry since leaving the CFTC in 2019.
  • Earlier this month, Giancarlo joined crypto venture capital firm CoinFund as a policy adviser. He is currently senior counsel at the law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, and co-founded the Digital Dollar Project in January 2020. Giancarlo confirmed his appointment to the board, saying he was excited to be involved with a core blockchain technology provider..
  • “I’ve had a 38-year career, only five of which were spent as a regulator,” Giancarlo said. “I think my value proposition with the companies I work with is much broader than just regulation.”
  • In an email to CoinDesk, Digital Asset Chief Financial Officer Emnet Rios said that every one of the company's board member brings "a unique experience across financial services and technology industries." She said Giancarlo "fills a gap with a specific focus on distributed ledger technology and asset tokenization, and with his legal and regulatory background, he was a natural fit to join our board."


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Cheyenne Ligon

On the news team at CoinDesk, Cheyenne focuses on crypto regulation and crime. Cheyenne is originally from Houston, Texas. She studied political science at Tulane University in Louisiana. In December 2021, she graduated from CUNY's Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, where she focused on business and economics reporting. She has no significant crypto holdings.

Cheyenne Ligon