Catenaa, Monday, May 19, 2025-The Blockchain Association announced May 14 that Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Commissioner Summer Mersinger will step down from her regulatory role and take over as the influential crypto trade group’s CEO.
Mersinger is set to leave the CFTC on May 30 and officially begin her leadership role at the Blockchain Association on June 2. The organization highlighted her deep understanding of regulatory challenges in digital assets and her advocacy for a balanced crypto framework that supports innovation while protecting consumers.
Mersinger succeeds Kristin Smith, who stepped down as CEO to become president of the Solana Policy Institute on May 19.
With over 20 years of experience working on Capitol Hill and at the CFTC, Mersinger has been a key figure in pushing for pragmatic crypto regulations since joining the CFTC in March 2022 under the Biden administration. Prior to that, she spent nearly two decades working for Senate Majority Leader John Thune.
In a farewell statement, Mersinger said it was a privilege to serve at the CFTC through multiple administrations and expressed readiness to help guide the crypto industry’s future from the trade group.
