The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has hired a new chief data innovation officer with extensive experience in blockchain forensics in what could be seen as the regulator’s shift towards a greater focus on the technology.
In a notice on Monday, CFTC Chairman Michael Selig he said that Donald Battle, counsel to the Crypto Task Force of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), will be the Commission’s Chief Data Innovation Officer. Battle was named counsel to the SEC’s crypto task force in January 2025 with the new Trump administration, and previously served as blockchain data counsel for the CFTC and crypto enforcement specialist for the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network.
Source: CFTC
Selig cited Battle’s experience in “data science, blockchain forensics, programming interfaces and cutting-edge AI solutions” among the reasons for his selection.
The appointment signaled that the agency is moving closer to addressing crypto regulation and enforcement at a time when Congress is seeking to overhaul the roles of the CFTC and SEC with the digital asset market structure bill, the CLARITY Act.
The CFTC chairman remains the sole commissioner at the financial agency responsible for many aspects of digital asset regulation and enforcement. Under Selig, the CFTC asserted exclusionary jurisdiction over regulating prediction market platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket, resulting in many lawsuits against state-level authorities trying to crack down on what they called illegal gambling.
Related: Kraken introduces perpetual futures contracts for US traders through CFTC-regulated venues
The public comment period for the proposed CFTC framework for sports event contracts opens
Last week, the CFTC published a proposed rule that could distinguish contracts for sporting events offered on platforms such as Kalshi and Polymarket from what it called “games of random chance,” referring to gambling. The public has 45 days to comment on the draft rule, which could affect how the financial agency handles the regulation of sports contracts and betting at the state and federal levels.
Magazine: Bitcoin, ‘canary in coal mine’, demand for XRP transactions down 91.5%: Market movements
