Brian Quintenz discusses crypto regulatory paths at Korea Blockchain Week 2026

Brian Quintenz: Brian Quintenz is the former U.S. CFTC Commissioner who has since held policy leadership roles in the crypto sector, including at a16z crypto, and serves on boards of firms such as Kalshi. At Korea Blockchain Week 2026, he stated that the Clarity Act is not the sole route to regulatory certainty, emphasizing the SEC and CFTC's ability to use existing exemptive powers. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission: The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is the federal agency responsible for enforcing securities laws and regulating securities markets in the United States. In the context of this news, it is positioned alongside the CFTC as an agency that can leverage its exemptive authority to deliver regulatory clarity for crypto markets without new legislation. Recent actions include issuing staff FAQs and an innovation exemption for tokenized securities trading following the stalled Clarity Act. U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission: The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission oversees derivatives markets and enforces the Commodity Exchange Act. In this news, it is highlighted as a co-regulator with the SEC that can apply exemptive authority to address gaps in crypto oversight. The agency has recently aligned with the SEC on joint interpretations of how federal laws apply to certain crypto assets and transactions. Regulation: The SEC and CFTC have issued joint staff interpretations and guidance on the application of securities and commodities laws to crypto assets in the weeks after the Clarity Act failed to advance in the Senate. Policy Development: Federal agencies are actively using their existing authorities, including exemptive relief and FAQs, to provide near-term clarity on digital assets and tokenization while broader legislation remains stalled.