Brian Quintenz is the Head of Policy for a16z crypto, where he helps to translate between the crypto and policy communities. Brian initially joined a16z crypto as a senior advisor. In December 2022, he moved to the full-time role leading its policy team. Prior to joining a16z, he was nominated by both Presidents Obama and Trump to serve as commissioner of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and, in August 2017, was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate. He also led the agency's Technology Advisory Committee, which hosted the most comprehensive set of public crypto-related policy discussions and briefings of any federal financial regulator. Before his appointment to the CFTC, Brian was the Founder and Managing Principal of Saeculum Capital Management, LLC. Brian began his career on Capitol Hill, where he worked for 6.5 years and served as senior policy aid to a Member of Congress.