Brian Quintenz – a16z crypto’s New Head of Policy

Anthony Albanese

Last September, we welcomed Brian Quintenz to the a16z crypto team as a Senior Advisor. Today, we’re excited to announce that he has accepted the full-time position as a16z crypto’s Head of Policy. 

As a former Commissioner of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, nominated by both Presidents Obama and Trump and unanimously confirmed by the Senate, Brian is uniquely suited to lead our bi-partisan policy efforts. 

Brian’s past experience leading the CFTC’s Technology Advisory Committee, and his work over the last year with founders, policymakers, and regulators have made him a trusted voice in the web3 legislative landscape.

When Brian first joined us as an advisor, web3 had just gone through its first significant moment in DC with the passage of the Infrastructure Bill. This political battle made it clear that legislation would be a critical part of the industry’s future.

Since then, Brian has been instrumental in helping our firm and portfolio manage DC’s complexity. The last year has made it evident that more regulation is needed in certain areas of crypto and web3. The shape that legislation takes has yet to be determined, but it could have a massive effect on web3’s promise. 

We have long called for and supported thoughtful legislation, but it has never been more crucial than today. With multiple bills being worked on in both the House and the Senate, the increased activity of the SEC and CFTC, and an overall consensus from the industry, we believe that the time is now for impactful legislation. 

This is a critical time in web3’s history as policymakers in DC take a close look at the future of crypto. With the new Congress taking office in just a couple of weeks, we couldn’t be more excited to have Brian starting today in his new full-time role to lead our efforts on Capitol Hill and join our growing policy team. 

Together with our new Head of Government Affairs Collin McCune, Head of Regulatory Michele Korver and our General Counsel Miles Jennings, we have a policy/regulatory team that is uniquely positioned to be a leading voice in web3.

Congratulations, Brian! 

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