Exclusive: Former Acting CFTC Chair On Crypto Regulation & Why She’s Joining MoonPay | Caroline Pham

Caroline Pham is the former Acting CFTC Chair, and is currently the Chief Legal Officer and Chief Administrative Officer at MoonPay. In this conversation, we discuss all the work that Caroline has done to create regulation for crypto. We get into her law background, joining the CFTC, struggles during previous administrations, her reflections on her time on the CFTC, thoughts on Brian Quintet’s CFTC withdrawal, & the biggest challenges for Mike Selig, updates on market structure, and what to expect at her brand new role at MoonPay, why 2026 is the year for institutional adoption.

This episode is sponsored by Gemini: https://gemini.com/CIA 

Watch On YouTube: https://youtu.be/noxG7sE60eQ

Please note that this podcast is for informational purposes only and any views shared by anyone on the show are opinions, not financial advice. The host or guests may have a direct or indirect financial interest in content mentioned in this episode.

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TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 - Welcome Caroline Pham!

0:39 - What ‘Crypto In America’ Means To Caroline

01:15 - Journey Through Law School & Intro Into Crypto

04:23 - Getting An Internship at the CFTC

12:15 - Comparing Commodities & Crypto

14:20 - When Did Caroline Realize Crypto’s Potential

18:05 - Making the CFTC Great Again

21:45 - Is CFTC Prepared For Retail Oversight? 

23:50 - Challenges Ahead For The CFTC

30:00 - Thoughts On Gary Gensler 

33:48 - Why The Past Few Years Were So Frustrating 

37:55 - Regulatory Sandboxes

39:02 - Changing Rules For Crypto Ownership For Regulators 

42:32 - Comparing Digital Assets to Derivatives

43:40 - How Markets Will Operate Better With Regulatory Frameworks

46:40 - Leaving CFTC, Joining MoonPay

52:46 - Brian Quintenz CFTC withdrawal

55:00 - Mike Selig Swon In At CFTC - His Biggest Challenges 

57:00 - Thoughts On Prediction Markets

1:02:00 - Market Structure Update For 2026

1:05:00 - Why 2026 The Year Of Institution Adoption 

1:07:00 - Thanks Caroline For Joining!

#crypto #bitcoin #blockchain #investing #technology #america