Former CFTC chair J. Christopher “CryptoDad” Giancarlo has left his senior counsel and digital‑assets lead role at Willkie Farr & Gallagher to devote himself full time to crypto, AI and policy work — including a new book and advisory work for fintech founders and boards.
Giancarlo confirmed the move on LinkedIn and in interviews reported by Crypto in America and Phemex. He joined Willkie in 2020, helped build the firm’s Digital Works practice out of New York, and advised banks, exchanges and fintechs on issues from stablecoin rules to the emerging U.S. crypto regulatory framework. In April he wrote that “after six rewarding years helping Willkie build one of the world’s leading digital asset legal practices, it is time for my next chapter,” adding he’ll focus on “fintech, #digitalassets, #crypto and AI — and on making sure freedom and human agency are baked into the new architecture of banking, finance and money itself.”
Giancarlo is best known in the industry as “CryptoDad,” a nickname earned during his 2017–2019 tenure as Commodity Futures Trading Commission chair. He oversaw the launch of the first regulated bitcoin futures contracts and repeatedly urged a “do no harm” approach to blockchain innovation — a theme he expanded on in his first book, CryptoDad: The Fight for the Future of Money.
Among his ongoing projects is the Digital Dollar Project, a nonprofit initiative that has positioned Giancarlo as a leading U.S. advocate for a central bank digital currency. He has argued a well‑designed digital dollar could advance American values such as privacy, free enterprise and the rule of law as other nations push ahead with state‑backed e‑money. Reports in Finews Asia and legal trade outlets have also noted that Trump allies have floated him as a potential “crypto czar,” citing his calls for clear stablecoin rules, safe harbors for token projects and a more unified federal regulatory approach.
Giancarlo also teased a follow‑up book, CryptoDad’s New Adventures: The Path to Financial Freedom in the 21st Century, due in October. The book is billed as a narrative of the crypto industry spanning the 2024 election into a potential second Trump term — signaling he plans to be both an adviser and a public storyteller on crypto’s future.
His departure from big law comes as Washington debates major pieces of legislation and policy — from the CLARITY Act and GENIUS stablecoin proposals to bank‑backed tokenization pilots — while regulators from the Fed to the SEC and CFTC sort out how dollar‑pegged tokens, DeFi and tokenized treasuries fit into the existing system. By shifting into strategic advisory, investing and policy research, Giancarlo is betting there’s strong demand for a former top derivatives regulator to help shape the next chapter of digital finance.
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