CFTC’s acting chief Pham poised to go to crypto firm MoonPay once Mike Selig lands

With an any-minute-now confirmation of Mike Selig to take over the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, its stand-in chief, Caroline Pham, is closer to her longstanding plan to jump to crypto firm MoonPay.

As CoinDesk reported last month, Pham was said to be planning to take on the role of chief legal officer and chief administrative officer at the company, a financial technology company focused on crypto, which just obtained a New York trust charter last month. It’s a path further confirmed by the company on Wednesday, including a statement from Pham acknowledging her transition once she’s replaced by President Donald Trump’s nominee, Selig.

“I’m excited to join MoonPay at a pivotal moment,” said Pham, in an unusual career note emerging before the regulator’s departure. Pham also posted on the social media site X on Wednesday that once Selig is sworn in, she’s looking forward to “a smooth transition.”

“The future is bright,” she said.

The former managing director at Citigroup has led an aggressive agenda pushing crypto-friendly policy, which has come to a head with several new initiatives established in the past few weeks, just as Selig’s confirmation process advanced in the Senate. He’s expected to be approved as part of a massive package of nominees in a vote currently scheduled for Wednesday evening.

Selig is an official at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, where he has helped with the agency’s work on crypto policy.

“Caroline is one of the most influential leaders in U.S. financial regulation, helping define the future of digital assets,” said Ivan Soto-Wright, co-founder and CEO of MoonPay, in a statement that called her the “perfect leader to guide MoonPay through our next chapter of growth and compliance excellence.”

At the company, which also holds a New York BitLicense and handles crypto trading, payments, and stablecoin infrastructure, Pham will oversee its policy and regulatory strategy in Washington. It’s not directly regulated by the CFTC.

Read more: Most Influential: Caroline Pham