CFTC chair Rostin Behnam to resign on Trump’s inauguration day

Rostin Behnam, chairman of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, will resign on January 20, the day Donald Trump will be inaugurated as America’s 47th President.

Rostin Behnam, chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, announced his resignation from the regulatory watchdog just two weeks before President Donald Trump is sworn in.

During its tenure, the CFTC has pushed for comprehensive digital asset policies aimed at supporting industry growth. The agency also classified the commodities of cryptocurrency leaders Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH), while the Securities and Exchange Commission, chaired by former chairman Gary Gensler, refrained from clarifying Ether’s regulatory status.

Behnam has repeatedly warned about regulatory loopholes in digital assets and Bitcoin and called for greater oversight of political betting contracts and platforms. His concerns remain his main focus as he prepares to leave office.

Behnam previously led the CFTC during court battles with platforms such as Kalshi, a regulated prediction market open to U.S. users.

Rostin Behnam’s exit creates a proverbial “mixed bag”

Despite being against Kalshi and political betting markets, Behnam’s departure from the CFTC, which has raised concerns of potential manipulation, could cause mixed reactions within the crypto community.

Some of his decisions as CFTC chairman have become rallying points for crypto advocates who see him as more open to the industry than other regulators. In contrast, figures like SEC Chairman Gary Gensler and Federal Reserve board member Michael Barr were seen as textbook enemies of crypto.

Digital asset leaders agree with Behnam’s view that blockchain operations need clearer regulations to spur innovation and business growth in the US

Behnam also argued that the CFTC is well equipped to oversee digital asset markets despite its smaller budget compared to the SEC. A bipartisan bill known as FIT21 proposed sharing crypto regulatory responsibilities between the CFTC and SEC. Under the terms of the bill, the CFTC will be the primary regulator for crypto exchanges and brokers.