J. Christopher Giancarlo, Former CFTC Chairman, Joins BlockFi Board of Directors

Widely recognized as a regulatory trailblazer in the digital asset space, Giancarlo will be a source of trusted counsel for the company as it continues to grow and innovate

BlockFi, a financial services company dedicated to building a bridge between cryptocurrencies and traditional financial and wealth management products, announced that the Honorable J. Christopher (“Chris”) Giancarlo has joined the company’s Board of Directors, effective immediately. In his role as a member of the Board, Giancarlo will provide valuable guidance to the company’s leadership on strategic matters, namely blockchain innovation, regulatory developments and growth initiatives.

Mr. Giancarlo served as the 13th Chairman of the United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) from 2014 to 2019 under Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump. Giancarlo is widely respected as a leading voice on financial regulation and innovation.  As Chairman of the CFTC, Giancarlo served as a member of the U.S. Financial Stability Oversight Committee, the President’s Working Group on Financial Markets, and the Executive Board of the International Organization of Securities Commissions.

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“As the adoption of digital assets accelerates, it is critical for the financial industry to consider how to adapt and integrate these innovations in a way that best serves investors and the broader economy,” said Mr. Giancarlo. “BlockFi’s mission to bridge the gap between digital assets and traditional finance provides a model for how to responsibly and thoughtfully manage innovation while also improving the financial well-being of their customers.”

“Chairman Giancarlo is highly respected in both traditional and digital finance, and his drive to advance financial innovation in a methodical, practical and strategic manner will be invaluable for our development,” added Zac Prince, CEO and Co-Founder of BlockFi. “The executive team and I are excited to work with Chris and benefit from his experience as we broaden our footprint in a fast-moving and rapidly maturing market.”

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Mr. Giancarlo currently serves as Senior Counsel to the international law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher, Chairman of the Board of Common Securitization Solutions LLC, a joint venture between Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and on the Advisory Board of the Chamber of Digital Commerce. Giancarlo also serves as an independent director of the American Financial Exchange, the sponsor of Ameribor and Ameribor Futures. In addition, Giancarlo was recently nominated to the Board of Nomura Holdings, the parent company of Japan’s biggest brokerage and investment bank. Giancarlo is also the co-founder of the Digital Dollar Project (digitalDollarProject.org).

In addition to his extensive regulatory background, Mr. Giancarlo is well-known as an advocate for the development and use of blockchain technologies in financial services. Under his administration, the CFTC oversaw the launch of the first bitcoin futures contracts, created LabCFTC as the agency’s stakeholder in the digital evolution of derivatives trading markets, published primers on virtual currencies and smart contracts and entered into FinTech cooperation agreements with several overseas regulators. Mr. Giancarlo was Founding Co-Editor-in-Chief for eSecurities: Trading and Regulation on the Internet (Leader Publications).

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