Former CFTC Chairman J. Christopher “CryptoDad” Giancarlo resigned from his senior position at Willkie to focus full-time on cryptocurrency, artificial intelligence, and policy work, including a new book on digital money, during Trump’s second term.
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- Former CFTC Chairman J. Christopher Giancarlo has retired from his senior position at the law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher to focus full-time on digital assets, artificial intelligence, and policy work.
- Known as “Crypto Dad,” he plans to expand his strategic consulting, private investment and think tank research work, while promoting a new book on the evolution of cryptocurrencies during Trump’s second term.
- The move cements Giancarlo’s transformation from senior law partner to full-time crypto advocate as Washington rewrites US rules for stablecoins, decentralized finance and token markets.
Former Chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission J. Christopher Giancarlo Step down As a senior advisor and digital assets consultant at New York law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher focusing on cryptocurrencies, artificial intelligence and public policy work, he confirmed this on LinkedIn and in statements published by Crypto in America and Phemex.
Giancarlo, who joined Willkie in 2020 and helped build the Digital Works cryptocurrency practice, said he focuses on “strategic advisory services to founders and boards of directors in the fintech and digital asset sectors,” as well as non-profit projects like the Digital Dollar Project.creators.spotify+3
In an April post, Giancarlo told his followers, “After six rewarding years of helping Willkie build one of the world’s leading digital assets law practices, it’s time for my next chapter,” adding that he would focus on “fintech, digital assets, cryptocurrencies, and artificial intelligence — and on ensuring that human freedom and agency are integrated into the new architecture of banking, finance, and money itself.” The former regulator, nicknamed “Crypto Dad” for his pro-industry stance at the CFTC, has also teased an upcoming book titled “CryptoDad’s New Adventures: The Path to Financial Freedom in the 21st Century,” scheduled for publication in October and described as a chronicle of the cryptocurrency industry from the 2024 election through President Donald Trump’s second term.
Giancarlo chaired the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) from 2017 to 2019, oversaw the launch of the first regulated Bitcoin futures contracts, and argued that US regulators should adopt a “do no harm” approach to blockchain innovation, a phrase he repeated in speeches and later in his first book, “CryptoDad: The Fight for the Future of Money.” At Willkie, he co-headed the firm’s digital business practice out of New York, where he advised banks, exchanges and fintech companies on cryptocurrency regulation and co-authored memos on topics ranging from stablecoin rules to the emerging U.S. cryptocurrency regulatory framework.
According to the ABA Banking Journal and other legal trade publications, Giancarlo has also become one of the most prominent advocates for US central bank digital currency through his work at the US central bank. digital dollar project, They claim that a well-designed digital dollar could “promote American values of privacy, free enterprise, and the rule of law” in a world where China and others are racing ahead with state-backed electronic money. Finews Asia previously reported that Trump allies have floated Giancarlo as a potential “crypto czar,” citing his push for clear rules for stablecoins, safe havens for token projects, and a more unified federal approach to overseeing digital assets.
His latest career move comes as Washington debates The law of clarityand GENIUS legislation for stablecoins and bank-backed tokenization projects, with regulators from the Federal Reserve to the SEC and That’s enough for you Determine how dollar-pegged tokens, DeFi, and pegged bonds fit within the existing system. By moving away from big law to focus on investment and policy research and a new book aimed at retail readers, Giancarlo is betting that there is room – and demand – for a former financial derivatives regulator to help engineer that future from the outside, as an advisor and storyteller.
