CFTC director responsible for bitcoin futures regulation is leaving the agency - Report

Markets • August 9, 2019, 2:00AM EDT

Amir Zaidi, director of the Division of Market Oversight (DMO) at the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), is reportedly leaving the agency.

A Bloomberg Law report on Friday, citing “multiple sources with knowledge of the matter,” said that Zaidi who leads policymaking on bitcoin futures trading, is leaving “within coming weeks.”

RELATED INDICES

See crypto indices

Vincent McGonagle, who currently serves as deputy director of the Division of Enforcement, will reportedly serve as acting director for DMO.

Zaidi has been with the CFTC since 2010, and was appointed as the director of DMO in January 2017 to lead the “critical division.”

Back in May, when the regulator issued guidance on cryptocurrency products, Zaidi said: “As the virtual currency market continues to evolve, CFTC staff will seek to provide additional guidance to help market participants keep pace with innovation while complying with CFTC regulations.”

About Author

Yogita Khatri is a senior reporter at The Block, covering all things crypto. As one of the earliest team members, Yogita has played a pivotal role in breaking numerous stories, exclusives and scoops. With nearly 3,000 articles under her belt, Yogita holds the records as The Block's most-published and most-read author of all time. Prior to joining The Block, Yogita worked at crypto publication CoinDesk and The Economic Times, where she wrote on personal finance. To contact her, email: [email protected]. For her latest work, follow her on X @Yogita_Khatri5.