Michael Selig
Chairman of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC)
Michael Selig is the 16th Chairman of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), confirmed by the Senate on December 18, 2025, and sworn in shortly after. A graduate of the George Washington University Law School, he began his government career as a law clerk for then-CFTC Commissioner J. Christopher Giancarlo from 2014 to 2015. He later worked as an associate at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft and as counsel at Perkins Coie, though specific dates are not publicly confirmed.
In April 2022, Selig joined Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP as a partner (elevated to partner in January 2024), focusing on financial regulation, digital assets, and crypto technologies. He remained there until March 2025, when he became Chief Counsel to the SEC’s Crypto Task Force and Senior Advisor to the SEC Chairman, playing a key role in shaping the administration’s crypto policy. Nominated by President Trump, he was unanimously confirmed as CFTC Chairman in December 2025.
Since taking office, Selig has made prediction markets and crypto regulation a priority, asserting CFTC jurisdiction over event contracts and engaging with state gambling regulators. Known for a pro-innovation, pro-crypto stance, he has been described as “the chief betting market regulator” by Politico. His leadership directly influences the legal and operational landscape of the iGaming and gambling sector through his oversight of event-based derivatives and related crypto products.