By KarenZ, Foresight News On February 12, 2026, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) officially released Announcement No. 9182-26, announcing the list of members of the Innovation Advisory Committee (IAC). If you think this is just a routine list of "external brains" for a regulatory agency, you're sorely mistaken. This list, which brings together traditional financial giants, leading crypto platforms, DeFi infrastructure providers, top venture capital firms, and academic representatives, is not simply a group of industry advisors, but a crucial step in implementing the CFTC's collaborative regulatory framework for innovative financial markets based on the Federal Advisory Committee Act. This Innovation Advisory Committee (IAC), spearheaded by CFTC Chairman Michael S. Selig, is the successor to the Technology Advisory Committee (TAC). From its inception to its final lineup, it clearly conveys a signal: US regulators are proactively embracing crypto and fintech innovation, shifting from "passive regulation" to "collaborative governance." The lineup is full-fledged: a complete sweep from exchanges and DeFi to traditional finance. Unlike previous instances where regulators invited one or two crypto representatives to "decorate the image," this time the CFTC's IAC committee boasts an "all-star lineup," comprising 35 members from traditional financial giants, crypto trading platforms, DeFi protocols, blockchain infrastructure, investment institutions, and academic representatives.
1. CEX
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong
Kraken Co-CEO Arjun Sethi
Gemini CEO Tyler Winklevoss
Crypto.com CEO Kris Marszalek
Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev
Blockchain.com CEO Peter Smith
Bullish CEO Tom Tom Farley
Bitnomial CEO Luke Hoersten
2. Prediction Market
Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan
Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour
FanDuel President Christian Genetski
DraftKings CEO Jason Robins
3. DeFi and the bottom layer of the public chain
Uniswap Labs CEO Hayden Adams
Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse
Chainlink Labs CEO Sergey Nazarov
Etherealize CEO Vivek Raman
4. Top Crypto Venture Capital Firms
a16z crypto Managing Partner Chris Dixon
Paradigm Managing Partner Alana Palmedo
Framework Ventures Co-founder Vance Spencer
5. Digital Asset Custody and Asset Management
7. Traditional Finance and Clearing, Trading Institutions
Option Clearing Corporation CEO Andrej Bolkovic
Derivatives Exchanges and Clearing Houses Rothera Markets CEO Thomas Chippas
Cboe Global Markets CEO Craig Donohue
CME Group CEO Terry Duffy
Nasdaq CEO Adena Friedman
Frank LaSalla, President and CEO of Depository Trust and Clearing Company
Scott D. O’Malia, CEO of International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA)
David Schwimmer, CEO of London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG)
Jeff Sprecher, CEO of Intercontinental Exchange (ICE)
Don Wilson, CEO of Trading Firm DRW
8. Academic and Compliance Representatives
Professor Harry Crane, Professor Carla Reyes
9. Others
The CFTC explicitly states that the IAC's core responsibility is to provide expert advice on cutting-edge innovations in the derivatives and commodities markets, focusing on the market restructuring brought about by technologies such as AI and blockchain, helping regulators develop "adaptive rules," and maintaining the effectiveness of financial regulation.
Regulatory Logic: Top-Level Collaboration
The IAC is not a temporary institution, but rather a long-term design by the CFTC for the golden age of the US financial markets, providing expert advice on technological innovation in the financial markets.
The IAC is not a temporary institution, but rather a long-term design by the CFTC for the golden age of the US financial markets, providing expert advice on technological innovation in the financial markets.
According to CFTC Announcement No. 9167-26 issued on January 12th of this year, Michael S. Selig had already clearly defined the IAC's positioning a month earlier: Background: Replacing the original Technology Advisory Committee: This name change is not a mere word game. Under Michael S. Selig's leadership, the CFTC has clearly realized that simply discussing blockchain and AI technologies is outdated; what needs to be discussed now are entirely new financial business models driven by technology. Core Work: The IAC focuses on the intersection of finance and technology (such as blockchain, digital assets, and AI), balancing perspectives from the financial industry, regulatory agencies, fintech providers, and academic institutions to help the CFTC understand the impact of technological innovation and guide the application of new technologies in the financial market. It only provides advice and suggestions, without actual decision-making power. Operational Details: The CFTC provides support, with annual operating costs of approximately $170,000. Members work without compensation. Additionally, the CFTC will appoint dedicated federally designated officials to oversee all matters, including meetings, compliance, and training. The commission will meet at least once a year, and its subcommittees can convene as needed. This means that the past situation of "remote dialogue" between the industry and regulators has been broken. DeFi representatives, centralized exchanges (CEXs), traditional exchanges, clearinghouses, and venture capitalists are now "sitting at the same table," allowing the CFTC to directly access firsthand market information and advice, preventing rule-making from being detached from reality. What does this mean for Web3? The IAC list has been finalized, and it will have at least the following clear impacts on the crypto industry: First, the "legitimization" of prediction markets. The most striking additions to the IAC list are Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan and Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour. After a long and drawn-out debate among regulators about whether "election predictions" constitute gambling, the CFTC's move is tantamount to acknowledging the financial status of prediction markets as "event contracts." More interestingly, the list also includes the presidents of DraftKings and FanDuel—meaning the boundaries between sports betting, financial derivatives, and on-chain prediction markets are blurring. This shift is particularly evident in the regulation of prediction markets. In February 2026, the CFTC announced the withdrawal of its proposed Event Contracts rules released in 2024. At the time, CFTC Chairman Michael S. Selig stated bluntly, "The 2024 Event Contracts proposals reflected the previous administration's hasty regulation of a blanket ban on political contracts ahead of the 2024 presidential election." The CFTC will proceed with the development of new rules based on a rational interpretation of the Commodity Exchange Act, aligning with Congressional intent and promoting responsible innovation in the derivatives market.
II. DeFi and Public Chains Gain Official "Formal Seats"
The inclusion of DeFi and public chain projects or related startups such as Uniswap, Solana, Chainlink, and Etherealize CEO Vivek Raman, among others, not only recognizes the status of DeFi infrastructure but also signifies that the CFTC is acknowledging from a technological standpoint that code is the market structure.
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