Caroline Pham to join MoonPay as Mike Selig confirmation nears

Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Acting Chair Caroline Pham will join crypto firm MoonPay when Mike Selig is confirmed as the regulator’s next chair.

Pham will become that of MoonPay Legal Director (CLO) and Administrative Director (CAO) and guide regulatory strategy in Washington, the company said in a Dec. 17 statement.

“Caroline is one of the most influential leaders in financial regulation in the United States, helping to define the future of digital assets,” said Ivan Soto-Wright, co-founder and CEO of MoonPay. “Her unmatched experience, which combines regulatory expertise, traditional finance and a deep understanding of market structure, makes her the ideal leader to guide MoonPay through our next chapter of growth and compliance excellence.

Pham said in a statement that she was “excited to join MoonPay at a pivotal time,” and added on X that she looks forward to Selig’s successful confirmation.

I look forward to a successful confirmation of Mike Selig as @CFTCand a smooth transition once he takes the oath of office. The future is bright. Onwards and upwards 🚀

– Caroline D. Pham (@CarolineDPham) December 17, 2025

Selig is expected to be approved to lead the CFTC among a wide field of candidates in a vote scheduled for Wednesday evening.

Selig, a Trump appointee, is an official at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), where he also worked closely with the CFTC on crypto policy.

Pham played a central role in regulating crypto in the United States this year

Pham was unanimously elected acting chairman of the CFTC earlier this year after being sworn in as the regulator’s commissioner in 2022.

Pham went on to play a central role in the US crypto regulatory space during the Donald Trump administration.

In her first 100 days as the regulator’s acting chair, Pham ushered in a modernization agenda ranging from perpetual futures and 24/7 and extended-hours trading, to prediction markets and the CFTC’s 12-month crypto sprint, MoonPay said.

As part of this Crypto Sprint initiative, the CFTC has acted on recommendations made by the White House Digital Assets Task Force, which aim to establish a clear regulatory framework for the digital assets space. These recommendations were a stepping stone toward realizing Trump’s vision of making the United States the “crypto capital of the world.”

The CFTC and SEC also worked together on crypto policy as part of the recommendations. This saw the SEC unveil its own “Project Crypto” initiative.

The CFTC and the SEC announce their respective initiatives (Source: CFTC)

Earlier this month, Pham also announced that spot crypto products will for the first time be able to be traded on US federally regulated markets through futures exchanges registered with the CFTC.

Before joining the CFTC, Pham was a managing director at Citigroup. She held several leadership positions at the financial firm, including head of market structure for strategic initiatives.

MoonPay will use Pham’s expertise and experience to continue its growth

MoonPay will now look to bring Pham’s expertise and experience to the company to assist in its expansion efforts.

“His leadership at @cftc has shaped policies that expand financial freedom and crypto innovation,” Soto-Wright said on X, adding “we will now turn this progress into real results for users and partners around the world.”

more than delighted to welcome @CarolineDPham has @moonpay

his leadership to @cftc shaped policies that expand financial freedom and crypto innovation

we will now turn this progress into real results for users and partners around the world

we are just getting started……

– Ivan Soto-Wright (@ivanhodl) December 17, 2025

MoonPay successfully obtained a New York BitLicense and a New York Limited Purpose Trust Charter in the second half of this year. This places it in a small class of companies that have reached both regulatory milestones.

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