The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) announced two major leadership appointments today, June 15, 2026. Donald Battle now joins the agency as Chief Data Innovation Officer, bringing expertise in blockchain forensics and data science from his time at the SEC and FinCEN. On the other hand, J. Matthew Haws has been named Senior Advisor to the Chairman and Regional Director for Chicago, drawing on his 13 years of experience in derivatives regulation and legal counsel for global financial institutions. Battle and Haws are the latest additions to a series of leadership changes initiated by Chairman Michael Selig. Since becoming the agency’s sole commissioner in January 2026, Selig has filled at least eight senior-level positions across departments, including legal, economics, public affairs, and agricultural advisory, in a bid to reshape his leadership team. Who are the new CFTC hires? Before the CFTC, Battle worked at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), where he served as a senior advisor to Commissioner Hester Peirce on the SEC’s Crypto Task Force. Before that role, though, he served as an assistant director in the SEC Enforcement Division’s Data Science Group. He also spent a short while as a virtual currency enforcement officer at the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), where he focused on anti-money laundering and counterterrorism obligations under the Bank Secrecy Act. At the CFTC, Battle will serve in the Division of Data and as a member of the Innovation Task Force. Selig mentioned that Battle’s background in “data science, blockchain forensics, programming interfaces, and cutting-edge AI solutions” would help drive the agency’s technology efforts, according to the press release . Battle framed the move as a continuation of his work with Selig. “I was lucky enough to work for Chairman Selig on the SEC’s Crypto Task Force, and to be asked to follow him to the CFTC is a true honor,” he said in the announcement. Haws, meanwhile, will serve a two-in-one role as senior advisor in the Office of the Chairman and as Chicago regional administrator. He spent more than 13 years advising global financial institutions on derivatives and regulatory compliance, most recently as senior legal counsel at Marex. Before that, he was a partner at Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP, representing futures commission merchants, broker-dealers, and swap dealers. Selig called Haws “a vital addition to our Chicago office as the agency continues to staff up throughout the country.” Building out staff while fighting on multiple fronts The appointments also arrive with the intention of helping the CFTC navigate some of the most aggressive periods in its recent history. Last Wednesday, the agency proposed its first formal regulatory framework for prediction markets, outlining a three-step test to determine which event contracts should be prohibited under the Commodity Exchange Act, according to Cryptopolitan. Selig described the proposal as “a durable, transparent framework” for identifying contracts that Congress directed the agency to scrutinize. Three days before announcing the new hires, the CFTC filed a lawsuit against New Mexico to block the state from applying its gaming laws to federally registered prediction market platforms. New Mexico had sued Kalshi in state court, claiming the company’s event contracts amount to illegal online sports betting. The CFTC’s complaint seeks a declaratory judgment that federal law gives it exclusive authority over these contracts. New Mexico joined a growing roster of states facing CFTC litigation over the same issue. The agency has filed suits against Arizona, Connecticut, Illinois, Minnesota, New York, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin, all of which have tried to restrict or shut down prediction market operators within their borders. A New York Times investigation published last month claimed that several veteran CFTC officials were placed on administrative leave after expressing regulatory concerns regarding Polymarket, Crypto.com, and a Gemini affiliate, which are all tied to the Trump family. Enforcement activity has also dropped sharply, as the report noted that the agency filed just two crypto-related enforcement actions under the current administration, compared to over 80 cases during the Biden era. Chairman Michael Selig is currently leading the agency as the only active commissioner on what is typically a five-member panel. He has consistently emphasized his commitment to defending the agency’s authority, recently stating during the New Mexico lawsuit announcement that the CFTC possesses both the specific expertise and the mandate to uphold its exclusive federal jurisdiction over commodity derivatives. If you're reading this, you’re already ahead. Stay there with our newsletter .
