Former American Commodity Futures Trading Commission chairman Christopher Giancarlo has become a member of Swiss Crypto Bank Sygnum as a senior policy advisor.
Giancarlo, who led the CFTC from 2017 to 2019, will advise Sygnum on global regulatory developments and strategic partnerships, the company said in a 27 May announcement.
His appointment is because institutional interest in digital assets continues to rise, with a growing clarity of the regulations in important markets.
Giancarlo will become a member of Sygnum’s Advisory Council, a 12-person body with other industrial leaders such as BlackRock vice-chairman Philipp Hildebrand and Mit’s Alexander Lipton.
Sygnum, based in Switzerland and Singapore, is one of the world’s first regulated digital assets. Earlier this year, it obtained a unicorn status after collecting $ 58 million in a financing round and continues to expand its institutional services on large global markets.
At Sygnum, Giancarlo will contribute its regulatory experience and international policy insights to support the expansion and involvement of the company with both stakeholders in the public and the private sector.
He is expected to play a key role in shaping the bank approach for strategic growth initiatives, including M&A and cross-border cooperation, according to Sygnum co-founder and group CEO Mathias Imbach.
“His deep understanding of the regulatory landscape, the financial market infrastructure and public policy, as well as its extensive network, in particular in the US, will be invaluable if we continue our growth requirement,” Imbach said.
During his term of office at the CFTC, Giancarlo supervised the approval of the first American Bitcoin Futures contracts and received a reputation for supporting innovation in financial markets. He deserved the nickname “Crypto Dad” for his pro-Crypto attitude and his advocacy for balanced regulations during the testimony of the congress.
After his time in public office, Giancarlo remained active in the digital assets room. He has previously joined the Paxos Board of Directors, a regulated Stablecoin emittent, and was a consultant for investment firm Coinfund and Crypto Lender Blockfi.
He also consulted for fintech firm Digital Asset, aimed at tokenization and distributed ledger technologies.
The former CFTC chairman was also a vocal participant during the White House Digital Asset Summit, held earlier this year, and was also a potential competition for the crypto tsar role of President Donald Trump.
