Former CFTC Acting Chair Caroline Pham Joins MoonPay, Signaling Deep Integration of Regulation and Crypto Infrastructure, Paving the Way for Institutional Funds in 2026.
(Background: Binance US Deposit and Withdrawal Resurrected! Partnered with MoonPay, USDT Becomes the Benchmark for Crypto Trading)
(Additional context: Crypto Mansion Showdown: MoonPay Raises Funds to Buy Beach House, Still Loses to Curve Founder’s Thousand-Ping Estate)
Crypto payment provider MoonPay announced in mid-December that former CFTC Acting Chair Caroline Pham has officially joined, taking on the roles of Chief Legal Officer and Chief Administrative Officer. For the market, this is not just a job change, but the person who sets the rules “officially stepping into the ring.”
License, Connections, and 2026
Just before Pham’s arrival, MoonPay obtained the New York Limited Purpose Trust Charter issued by the New York Department of Financial Services. This license upgrades MoonPay from a retail payment tool to a regulated entity capable of custodial assets and executing OTC trades; Pham’s extensive regulatory resources and connections built over years in Washington are key to turning this license into a business moat.
Looking back at Pham’s tenure at the CFTC, she promoted the Digital Asset Markets Pilot Program, allowing institutions to collateralize Bitcoin and USDC for 24/7 trading, and introduced automated regulatory technology, saving industry players approximately tens of millions of dollars annually in compliance costs. Now, this framework’s “beginning” is entering the private sector.
The entry of regulatory talent into the industry is no longer an isolated case; previously, Michael Selig took over the CFTC, and several former officials have also entered the industry. The signal is clear: compliance has become a “ticket.” MoonPay aims to welcome the institutional funds expected to flood in by 2026.
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