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US President Donald Trump’s nominee for Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Chair Brian Quintenz has accused Gemini co-founders Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss of undermining his confirmation.
Quintenz was initially expected to fly through Senate confirmation with support from the broader crypto and financial industries. This all seemed to change when the Gemini co-founders wrote a letter to Trump that pressed him to reconsider. The White House subsequently halted a vote for unspecified reasons.
Believing that the President may have been misled, Quintenz took to X to share a private exchange that took place between himself and the Winklevoss twins days before they sent the letter to Trump.
Tyler Winklevoss Asked How Quintenz Would ‘Align With President Trump’
“I’ve never been inclined to release private messages,” he wrote on X. “But in light of my support for the President and belief that he might have been misled, I’ve posted here the messages that include the questions Tyler Winklevoss asked me pertaining to their prior litigation with the CFTC.”
I’ve never been inclined to release private messages. But in light of my support for the President and belief that he might have been misled, I’ve posted here the messages that include the questions Tyler Winklevoss asked me pertaining to their prior litigation with the CFTC.
— Brian Quintenz (@BrianQuintenz) September 10, 2025
The texts shared on X included a letter that Gemini sent to the CFTC’s internal watchdog regarding a $5 million settlement between the exchange and the agency.
That settlement, which was struck in the final days of former President Joe Biden’s Administration, related to allegations that Gemini made misleading statements to the CFTC about a crypto investment product.
In the letter, the Winklevoss twins criticized the agency, and accused the CFTC of engaging in “7 years of lawfare trophy hunting.”
Tyler Winklevoss then asked Quintenz how he plans to “align with President Trump and the Administration’s mandate to end the lawfare and make amends for it.”
“Our complaint raises serious questions and concerns about the culture of the agency that you are about to chair and its overall fitness on the eve of it being contemplated as a major regulator for the crypto industry,” he wrote in the messages shared by Quintenz.
“Cultural reform, which includes rectifying what happened to us, should be the highest priority,” he added.
Quintenz replied by saying that he was disappointed that the CFTC’s enforcement division had pursued the lawsuit against Gemini “so aggressively.”
Quintenz Promised Fair Review If He Became CFTC Chair
He added that he would undertake “a fair and reasonable review of the matter” if and when he is appointed as the agency’s new Chair.
Quintenz then said that the matter between Gemini and the CFTC should be handled by a “fully confirmed chair,” before warning the Winklevoss twins to tread carefully if they were already in contact with someone currently employed by the CFTC.
Tyler Winklevoss asked if Gemini should have waited until Quintenz was confirmed as the new CFTC Chair by the Senate before filing their complaint. Quintenz replied by saying “any decision or response to your complaint should be made by and given the full weight of the confirmed chair.”
In his X post, Quintenz said that the text message “make it clear what they were after” from him, and also show what he “refused to promise.”
“It’s my understanding that after this exchange they contacted the President and asked that my confirmation be paused for reasons other than what is reflected in these texts,” he wrote.
Lawmakers Weigh Granting CFTC Power Over Crypto Market As Gemini Prepares For Public Listing
Quintenz is a former CFTC commissioner who has worked for Andreessen Horowitz’s crypto fund. He is also on the board of the prediction market startup Kalshi.
His recent X post comes as lawmakers weigh giving the CFTC new power over the crypto market. Over the years, the agency has overseen the trading of futures contracts tied to corn, oil, and financial indexes.
It also currently regulates derivatives products tied to cryptos like Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH). If the pending legislation is approved by the Senate, the CFTC’s jurisdiction will be expanded to also include these digital assets themselves.
Quintenz’s post also comes as Gemini prepares to go public later this week with an OP that aims to raise $433 million.
Gemini is currently ranked as the 24th-biggest crypto exchange in terms of trading volume, according to CoinMarketCap data.
Gemini ranked as the 24th-biggest exchange (Source: CoinMarketCap)
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