Pantera’s general counsel joins CFTC staff as commission work recenters around crypto

A former legal leader from the crypto world is joining the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). 

On July 26, CFTC Commissioner Christy Goldsmith Romero announced that she has hired Joseph Cisewski as chief of staff and senior counsel. 

Cisewski most recently served as general counsel for Pantera Capital, a crypto-focused venture capital and hedge fund that reports it has over $5.1 billion in assets under management. In a statement, Goldsmith Romero highlighted these credentials.“His fluency on digital-asset and other issues will be valuable as the Technology Advisory Committee embarks on its agenda later this year,” she said.

A former employee of the CFTC, he worked under then-Commissioner Mark Wetjen, who now heads crypto exchange FTX’s government relations. 

Just yesterday, CFTC Chair Rostin Behnam announced that the commission was expanding its long-standing fintech wing, LabCFTC, into the Office of Technology Innovation. The CFTC has spent much of 2022 arguing for a bigger role in crypto regulation, alongside a corresponding budget and staffing expansion. The crypto industry, especially the major exchanges, have become increasingly supportive.

Pantera, meanwhile, recently lost significant holdings in Luna and Terra, as the stablecoin and associated token collapsed. 

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