President Donald Trump has nominated four candidates to fill vacancies at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), marking the first such slate of commissioner nominations in a year. The nominees are Steven Levine and Kristin Johnson for the SEC, and Nathan Anonick and Matthew Rowland for the CFTC.

The White House announced the appointments on November 12, putting forward two candidates for each of the two financial regulators. Levine and Johnson were recommended for seats at the SEC, while Anonick and Rowland received the CFTC commissioner nominations. All four nominees now require confirmation by the Senate before they can join the agencies that regulate US financial markets and crypto-related transactions.

The nominations arrive at a moment when both organizations are short of leadership following a series of departures and expirations of terms. The SEC currently has Chairman Paul Atkins and Commissioner Mark Uyeda as the only members serving on what is designed to be a five-member commission. The CFTC finds itself in a comparable position, with Michael Selig serving as its sole commissioner amid four vacancies within the organization. Federal law caps the partisan makeup of both commissions at three members from the same political party, and the current slate pairs one Republican and one Democrat at each agency. If confirmed, the slate would add two representatives at each agency and broaden participation in their decision-making.

Steven Levine Nominated to Replace Hester Peirce

Levine, a Republican, was nominated to take up the SEC post vacated by Hester Peirce, who left office in October. The nomination period attached to the seat runs until June 5, 2030.

Peirce stood among the most well-known crypto-focused regulators at the SEC during her tenure as a commissioner. She also chaired the agency's Crypto Task Force, which developed regulatory solutions for digital assets and worked to address the ambiguity related to crypto business operations. With the commissioner's resignation, an important gap remains at the agency as it continues reviewing the application of securities regulations to digital asset activities in the United States.

The slate of picks drew quick attention from crypto policy watchers on X.

Trump nominates Kristin Johnson and Steven Levine to the SEC, Nathan Anonick and Matthew Rowland to the CFTC, first commissioner picks in over a year — unfolded. (@cryptounfolded) November 12, 2026

Levine additionally brings government experience as a counselor in the office of SEC Commissioner Mark Uyeda and at the White House Council of Economic Advisers. His stance on crypto regulation, however, is not as publicly known as that of his predecessor. As a result, Levine's confirmation could introduce a different perspective into the ongoing discussion at the SEC over digital asset policy.

Trump also nominated Democrat Kristin Johnson to the SEC post previously occupied by Caroline Crenshaw, who completed her term. Johnson's period of service would run until June 5, 2029. Johnson previously served as a commissioner at the CFTC, where she supported consumer protection measures and conflict-of-interest requirements for crypto firms. That background means the SEC slate includes a nominee who has already served inside the CFTC, the agency that is currently developing its own crypto regulatory framework.

CFTC Picks Include CLARITY Act Veterans

Nathan Anonick and Matthew Rowland were nominated by Trump as the Republican and Democratic candidates, respectively, for the two CFTC commissioner positions. Both nominees are experienced in dealing with the CLARITY Act, legislation aimed at creating clarity in the regulatory responsibilities of federal agencies concerning the oversight of digital assets and the cryptocurrency market. The measure seeks to draw clearer lines between the jurisdictions of agencies such as the SEC and the CFTC over the digital asset space. That split reflects how US market oversight is organized: the SEC regulates securities markets, while the CFTC supervises futures and derivatives markets, and defining where digital assets fall between the two mandates has been a central question in US crypto policy.

Anonick has experience collaborating with Republican staffers of the Senate Agriculture Committee, the same panel that would review the CFTC nominees and holds jurisdiction over the agency. Rowland is an attorney working in connection with the CFTC who has collaborated with the committee. Their legislative backgrounds may prove important as Congress moves to consider the allocation of responsibilities in cryptocurrency regulation between the SEC and the CFTC.

CFTC Chairman Michael Selig greeted the nominations, describing the two nominees as excellent bipartisan picks and promising to collaborate with them following their confirmation. If approved, the nominations would add two more representatives to an agency that currently operates with a chairman only.

Selig shared his reaction publicly on X.

. @POTUS made two strong bipartisan picks for @CFTC Commissioners with Nathan Anonick and Matthew Rowland. I congratulate them on their nominations and look forward to working with each of them upon their confirmation by the US Senate. — Mike Selig (@ChairmanSelig) November 12, 2026

CFTC Crypto Regulatory Framework Adds Context

The nominations arrive while the CFTC is advancing work on a broader cryptocurrency regulatory framework. On October 5, 2026, the agency published an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) seeking public comments on regulating crypto asset transactions and establishing specific requirements for related markets. The notice invites stakeholders to weigh in on how crypto asset transactions should be regulated and what requirements should apply to the related markets.

SEC and CFTC Commissioners Await Senate Approval

All four nominees must go through the Senate confirmation process before becoming officials. The SEC nominees are expected to be questioned by the Senate Banking Committee, while the nominees for the CFTC commissioner positions are set to be reviewed by the Senate Agriculture Committee. Following the committee stage, the entire Senate will decide whether to confirm the nominees through votes. Only after those steps conclude can the nominees formally take office.

Timing matters considerably in this process. It is expected that the Democrats will take control of the Senate starting in January 2027 following the midterm elections scheduled for November. That leaves Republicans with only a limited window to confirm Trump's nominations during the current session.

The eventual composition of the SEC and CFTC is likely to matter for the agencies' ability to make decisions and develop policy through broader commissioner participation. The nominations carry significance not only for businesses working with cryptocurrencies but also for investors, financial institutions, digital asset exchanges and platforms, and other corporations operating in US financial markets.

That said, the nominations are not expected to result in immediate changes to cryptocurrency regulations. Changes are possible only if the Senate confirms the nominations and, further, if the nominees hold particular policy positions. Upcoming milestones include committee hearings, votes on confirmation, and continued development of the CFTC's crypto regulation proposal.