CFTC Nominee Quintenz Makes Bold Move, Reveals Signal Messages With Winklevoss Twins

Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) chair nominee Brian Quintenz shared screenshots of messages with Tyler Winklevoss — a Trump ally and opponent to his candidacy — on social media Wednesday, suggesting concerns about others at the CFTC working to “undermine” him.

In a post on social media site X, Quintenz shares screenshots that appear to be from encrypted messaging app Signal, showing a conversation between himself and Winklevoss, who co-founded crypto exchange Gemini with his twin brother Cameron. Cameron Winklevoss was also listed as a participant in the chat, but did not send any messages in the screenshots.

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 come amid questions over whether Quintenz will ultimately be confirmed to lead the CFTC, a role in which he would be tasked with regulating — among other things — sports event contracts offered by prediction markets. Quitenz has taken a hands-off position on these contracts, arguing that the CFTC shouldn’t prevent exchanges from offering them.

The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry has still not voted on Quintenz’s nomination, despite holding a hearing in May. Votes were scheduled twice, but each time were removed from the agenda at the last minute. On the second occasion, the decision not to hold a vote came at the request of the White House, a staffer told InGame at the time. According to reports, that was due at least in part to the lobbying of the Winklevoss twins.

Messages concern Gemini CFTC complaint

The discussion concerns a complaint made by Gemini against the CFTC, filed in June. That complaint largely centers on an investigation into whether Gemini made misleading statements to the CFTC following a 2017 whistleblower complaint. In January, Gemini agreed to pay $5 million to settle the dispute without accepting fault.

In its complaint, Gemini accused the CFTC of “lawfare,” arguing that there was evidence the whistleblower was unreliable but that the CFTC “unquestioningly embraced” the claims.

According to the screenshots, Tyler Winklevoss shared a link to the complaint in July, and asked Quintenz, “Have you seen this?”

Quintenz wrote that he was disappointed in the CFTC’s actions, and would commit to Gemini “having a fair and reasonable review of the matter and the divisions and individuals involved to determine if they acted inappropriately.”

He added: “The implications of and solutions to this, however, should be left to a fully confirmed chair.”

Tyler Winklevoss responded to this portion of the message with confusion, asking whether Quintenz meant Gemini should have waited before submitting the complaint. Quintenz said he simply meant that any decision should “be given the weight of the confirmed chair.”

Is Quintenz being ‘undermined?’

Quintenz also appeared to suggest that he thought current CFTC members may have been speaking with the twins in an attempt to influence his view of proceedings with the complaint. He wrote: “There have been massive negative consequences to actions taken at the commission over the last few months. If anyone at the commission is communicating with you in an attempt to undermine or color my potential consideration of things, regardless of how personal or impactful they have been, I would give that careful thought.”

Tyler Winklevoss asked, “Why or how would anyone be able to undermine or color your consideration of these things?” Quintenz then asked for a call when Winklevoss was free.

Tyler Winklevoss went on to ask Quintenz “how you plan to align with President Trump and the Administration’s plan to end the lawfare.”

Quintenz reiterated that the Gemini complaint was something he and his staff would look at “when/if we made it into the building,” but that he could not act before then.

He appeared to offer another comment about existing CFTC staff, saying: “Ultimately I’ve decided to wait until I get into the role to get that view [of what is going on inside the CFTC] as opposed to trying to get it now through current leadership. I’ve had a very poor experience with that on every important issue or decision so far. But that’s for me to handle.”

Quintenz says Trump was ‘misled’

In the X post accompanying the screenshots, Quintenz suggested that Tyler Winklevoss wanted him to intervene before he was confirmed, and may have attempted to scupper his nomination because of his responses.

“I’ve never been inclined to release private messages,” he wrote. “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 believe these texts make it clear what they were after from me, and what I refused to promise. 

“It’s my understanding that after this exchange they contacted the President and asked that my confirmation be paused for reasons other than what is reflected in these texts.

“I am proud to have consistently supported President Trump since 2016, having served in his first administration and on the transition team for his second administration, and through my recent nomination process and confirmation hearing testimony in front of the U.S. Senate.  I look forward to continuing to support his agenda in whatever capacity I can.”

A Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry staffer told InGame Wednesday that “The committee has had no further update from the White House,” regarding Quintenz’s nomination.

Quintenz team’s emails to CFTC

The messages were originally sent one day before it was revealed that Quintenz’s planned chief of staff Kevin Webb requested information about matters such as open applications and a July deal with prediction market PredictIt.

Those emails, revealed by The Closing Line following a Freedom of Information Act request, gained attention because of Quintenz’s status as a director and shareholder of CFTC-registered prediction market Kalshi. The Closing Line noting that they “could present a conflict of interest for Quintenz.”

Quitenz has said he will divest his Kalshi shares and leave the board if appointed CFTC chair, but – having not yet been confirmed – he has not taken either of those actions yet. 

Following publication of those emails, U.S. Rep. Dina Titus, a Nevada Democrat and co-chair of the Congressional Gaming Caucus (CGC), asked for an investigation into Quintenz and his communications with the regulator.

It’s not clear if Quintenz may have been referring to those emails when he was discussing his “poor experience” gaining a view of current CFTC goings-on.