Michael Selig, 36, is running the CFTC alone on what is normally a five-member commission, giving him unilateral control over crypto products, prediction markets and core derivatives oversight.
That concentration of power has let him rapidly approve new products, ease Biden-era enforcement and push fresh prediction-market rules while Congress weighs giving the agency broader authority over the $2 trillion crypto market.
Capitol Hill pressure is building: Senate and House Agriculture leaders want Trump to nominate both Republican and Democratic commissioners, and some Democrats say a one-man, industry-friendly regulator should not steer crypto policy alone.
Inside the 550-person agency, staff unrest has deepened over buyout offers, earlier departures and concerns that key units lack the operational and morale capacity to absorb a larger crypto mandate.
The clash is widening beyond Washington, with CME Group warning Selig's approval of crypto perpetual futures 'could be a disaster waiting to happen' even as the White House says more commissioners will be nominated.