CFTC poaches SEC's crypto cop, because nothing says "innovation" like sharing one blockchain detective between two agencies

The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission has tapped Donald Battle, an adviser to the US Securities and Exchange Commission's crypto task force, to serve as its chief data innovation officer, according to a Monday notice from CFTC Chair Michael Selig. Battle was appointed to the SEC crypto task force in January 2025 with the incoming Trump administration, and previously worked as a blockchain data adviser for the CFTC and a crypto enforcement specialist with the Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. Selig cited Battle's experience in "data science, blockchain forensics, programming interfaces, and cutting-edge AI solutions" as factors in the selection.

The appointment comes as Congress moves forward with the CLARITY Act, a digital asset market structure bill that would overhaul the respective roles of the CFTC and SEC. Selig currently serves as the sole commissioner at the CFTC, the federal regulator responsible for many aspects of digital asset oversight and enforcement. Under his leadership, the CFTC has asserted exclusive jurisdiction over prediction market platforms including Kalshi and Polymarket, a position that has triggered multiple lawsuits from state-level authorities who characterize the platforms as illegal gambling.

Last week, the CFTC released a proposed rule aimed at distinguishing sports event contracts offered on platforms such as Kalshi and Polymarket from what it described as "games of random chance." The draft rule opened a 45-day public comment period and is expected to shape how the agency treats sports-related event contracts and wagering at both the state and federal levels. The move follows the recent rollout of perpetual futures for US traders by Kraken through a CFTC-regulated venue, underscoring the agency's expanding footprint in crypto derivatives oversight.