On 31 December 2025, the United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission announced a leadership appointment, with Chairman Michael S. Selig naming Amir Zaidi as the Commission’s Chief of Staff. The appointment comes at a strategically sensitive moment for United States derivatives and digital asset regulation, as Congress moves closer to finalising market structure legislation affecting crypto-linked commodities and futures markets.
Announcing the decision, Michael S. Selig, Chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, stated: “Amir brings to this role deep experience both at the Commission and in the financial services world, and has a proven track record of successfully embracing innovation in our markets. I’m grateful for his willingness to return as chief of staff and for his continued dedication and service to both the CFTC and our stakeholders. Amir was instrumental in the historic launch of CFTC-regulated bitcoin futures contracts during President Donald Trump’s first term. With Congress poised to send digital asset market structure legislation to the President’s desk, he will bring tremendous experience and expertise to the CFTC as it develops fit-for-purpose regulations for our rapidly evolving commodity markets.”
Responding to the appointment, Amir Zaidi said: “I am excited to return to the CFTC and thank Chairman Michael S. Selig for appointing me to this important role. Under Chairman Selig’s leadership, I look forward to providing a steady hand at the Commission during this important time. I am committed to ensuring that the Chairman’s pro-innovation agenda is successfully implemented during this period of rapid transformation in the derivatives markets.”
Amir Zaidi returns to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission with an extensive institutional legacy. Between 2010 and 2019, he served in multiple senior capacities at the agency, most notably as Director of the Division of Market Oversight, where he supervised the certification and deployment of bitcoin futures contracts, marking the first federally regulated crypto-linked financial product in the United States. During this period, he also held senior advisory roles in the offices of former Chairman Chris Giancarlo and former Commissioner Scott O’Malia, contributing to policy formation during a formative era for derivatives market reform.
Prior to his reappointment, Zaidi served as Global Head of Compliance for a major broker-dealer and introducing broker, further strengthening his regulatory and operational expertise at the intersection of market infrastructure, compliance governance, and financial innovation. Earlier in his career, he held a range of financial, legal, and regulatory roles in New York and Washington, cumulatively spanning several decades within the financial services industry. Zaidi holds a Juris Doctor degree, cum laude, from the University of Maryland School of Law, and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, summa cum laude, from Boston University School of Management.
(Source: https://www.cftc.gov/PressRoom/PressReleases/9165-25)
