The quiet hum of crypto news often gets interrupted by a sudden, sharp crackle of political drama. This week, we saw just that. Brian Quintenz, President Trump’s nominee to chair the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), pulled back the curtain on a private exchange.
- Brian Quintenz, a nominee for CFTC Chair, accused Tyler Winklevoss of lobbying President Trump to block his nomination after Quintenz provided a neutral response to Winklevoss’s questions about Gemini’s legal battles.
- Quintenz released private messages to support his claim, stating he believed President Trump might have been misled by the Winklevoss twins’ lobbying efforts.
- This public dispute adds complexity to Quintenz’s already stalled nomination process, occurring as Gemini prepares for its IPO.
He publicly accused Tyler Winklevoss, co-founder of Gemini, of lobbying President Trump to block his nomination. This claim came after Quintenz gave a rather measured response to Winklevoss’s questions about Gemini’s ongoing legal battles with the very agency Quintenz hoped to lead.
It’s a tangled web, isn’t it? Quintenz shared screenshots of messages, dated July 24, 2025, to support his claim. He stated he felt President Trump might have been misled, prompting him to release these private communications.
“I’ve never been inclined to release private messages,” Quintenz wrote in an X post published Thursday. He added, “But in light of my support for the President and belief that he might have been misled, I’ve posted here the messages that include the questions Tyler Winklevoss asked me pertaining to their prior litigation with the CFTC.”
Here’s the post Quintenz shared:
I’ve never been inclined to release private messages. But in light of my support for the President and belief that he might have been misled, I’ve posted here the messages that include the questions Tyler Winklevoss asked me pertaining to their prior litigation with the CFTC.
I… pic.twitter.com/MN75M1XUpT— Brian Quintenz (@BrianQuintenz) September 10, 2025
The messages show Winklevoss sharing a copy of Gemini’s complaint against the CFTC, filed in June. This complaint accused CFTC staff of misconduct during an earlier investigation involving Gemini. It seems Winklevoss was looking for an ally, or at least a sympathetic ear, in the nominee.
Winklevoss asked Quintenz for his views on the complaint. Quintenz, however, kept his response strictly neutral. He was, after all, a nominee, not yet the confirmed chair.
“I commit to you to having a fair and reasonable review of the matter and the division and individuals involved to determine if they acted inappropriately,” Quintenz told Winklevoss. He then added a crucial point: “The implications of and solutions to this, however, should be unequivocally left to a fully confirmed chair.”
This response, while perfectly proper for someone awaiting confirmation, didn’t sit well with Winklevoss. He expressed his disappointment and surprise at Quintenz’s lack of deeper engagement with Gemini’s complaint.
Winklevoss emphasized his view that “Cultural reform, which includes rectifying what happened to us, should be the highest priority.” He pressed Quintenz further, asking about his thoughts and how he planned to align with President Trump’s mandate to “end the lawfare and make amends for it.”
The messages ended with an agreement to “chat” later, though Quintenz didn’t clarify if that meeting ever happened. Soon after this exchange, Quintenz claims, the Winklevoss twins contacted President Trump. Their goal, he says, was to pause his confirmation, citing concerns that were, interestingly, unrelated to their earlier discussion.
The Backstory: CFTC and Gemini
To truly grasp the weight of this situation, we need to rewind a bit. This isn’t the first dance between Gemini and the CFTC. The current tension goes back to a CFTC lawsuit against Gemini in June 2022.
The agency alleged that Gemini made false or misleading statements. These statements were supposedly made during the 2017 self-certification process for a proposed bitcoin futures contract. It was a significant legal challenge for the crypto exchange.
This legal dispute stretched on for years, a long shadow over Gemini. Finally, in January 2025, Gemini settled the case. They agreed to pay a $5 million civil penalty. Importantly, they did so without admitting or denying any allegations.
But the story didn’t end there. The conflict continued, taking a new turn. Gemini’s lawyers filed their own complaint against CFTC staff in June. This is the complaint Tyler Winklevoss referenced in his messages to Quintenz, accusing the staff of misconduct.
This new allegation from Quintenz adds another layer to his nomination process. His path to becoming CFTC Chair has already stalled for about seven months. A public spat with prominent crypto figures certainly won’t smooth things over.
When Quintenz’s nomination was first announced in February 2025, he actually had strong support from many in the crypto world. This included the Winklevoss twins themselves. They initially saw him as a good fit, someone who understood the digital asset space.
However, their stance shifted dramatically by the end of July. They began calling Quintenz a “flawed candidate.” Their stated reasons for this change included potential conflicts of interest, specifically his board seat at Kalshi, a prediction markets company.
Tyler Winklevoss also voiced concerns about Quintenz’s policy positions. He previously said, “His policy is not in line with the stated goals and policy of President Trump and the Trump administration.” He went further, suggesting Quintenz’s views were “quite antithetical to the ethos of crypto and decentralization.”
It’s worth noting that neither Tyler nor Cameron Winklevoss has yet responded publicly to Quintenz’s latest allegations. The Block, the source of this information, has reached out to the Gemini co-founders for their side of the story.
Looking Ahead: High Stakes and Public Offerings
This whole situation unfolds against a backdrop of significant events for Gemini. The company is preparing to go public via an IPO (Initial Public Offering) on September 12. This is a huge step for any company, especially one in the crypto space.
Gemini anticipates its IPO price per share of Class A common stock will be between $24 and $26. They are looking to boost their valuation target to a substantial $3.1 billion. Imagine the pressure and the stakes involved as they navigate these waters.
A public offering brings intense scrutiny, not just from investors but from regulators and the public. Any perceived instability or ongoing conflict, especially with a major regulatory body like the CFTC, could cast a shadow.
The question now becomes: what impact will Quintenz’s public accusations have on his nomination? And how will this public dispute affect Gemini, particularly with its IPO just around the corner?
It’s a reminder that even in the digital world of crypto, old-fashioned political maneuvering and personal grievances can play a powerful role. The lines between business, regulation, and politics often blur, creating moments of high drama for us all to watch.
