# Fireside w/ Chris Giancarlo (ex-Chairman CFTC, Patomak) & William Mougayar (TRUSTSHIFT) at ETHConf

- Channel: [ETHGlobal](https://streameth.org/ethglobal)
- Date: 2026-07-09
- Duration: 31:14
- Topics: Chris Giancarlo, William Mougayar, TRUSTSHIFT, Patomak Global Partners, CFTC, ETHConf, Crypto Dad, Bitcoin futures, CME, Sharon Bowen, President Obama, Dodd-Frank, swaps trading, financial crisis, Senate testimony, regulation 2.0, principles based regulation, technology neutral, digital finance, Genius Act, Clarity Act, SEC, Crypto Task Force, Chairman Atkins, regulation by enforcement, tokenized real world assets, RWAs, stablecoins, US dollar dominance, TradFi, DeFi convergence
- Watch: https://streameth.org/watch/yt-iddVBp_KSyM
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iddVBp_KSyM

## Description

In this fireside chat, William Mougayar from TRUSTSHIFT sits down with Chris Giancarlo, former chairman of the CFTC and current member of Patomak Global Partners, known as "Crypto Dad" for his early advocacy that let Bitcoin futures list on regulated US exchanges in 2017. Chris shares his origin story of coming out of the financial crisis at a swaps trading platform, working through Dodd-Frank rules for five years, then being nominated by President Obama to the CFTC where he served with Sharon Bowen. He recounts how in 2017 Bitcoin was trading around $1,000 and the CME approached him wanting to list Bitcoin futures. Despite intense opposition from the entire financial establishment (JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, and others calling to shut it down), Chris famously testified to the Senate that "my son is interested in Bitcoin, and I owe it to him to try to understand it," which became a viral moment that gave him the nickname Crypto Dad.

The conversation moves to the current regulatory landscape and Chris's vision for what he calls "regulation 2.0." He argues the previous era of regulation was built for an analog world of intermediaries and paper based settlement, but the digital age requires principles based, technology neutral frameworks that can adapt to programmable money, tokenized assets, and 24/7 markets. He praises the current administration's approach with the Genius Act, the Clarity Act working its way through Congress, and the SEC's Crypto Task Force under Chairman Atkins moving away from regulation by enforcement. Chris emphasizes that the US is finally embracing its role as the global leader in digital finance rather than pushing innovation offshore. He shares his optimism about tokenized real world assets, stablecoins as an extension of US dollar dominance, and the convergence of TradFi and DeFi. He closes with advice for builders: engage with regulators early, be transparent about your business model, and focus on solving real problems for real users rather than chasing regulatory arbitrage.

00:00 Introduction
00:15 The Crypto Dad Origin Story
01:24 From Financial Crisis to CFTC Nomination
02:38 The 2017 Bitcoin Futures Decision
03:52 CME Approaches the CFTC
05:04 Wall Street Opposition to Bitcoin Futures
06:17 The Senate Testimony That Went Viral
07:31 My Son Is Interested in Bitcoin
08:44 Becoming Known as Crypto Dad
09:58 The Analog Era of Financial Regulation
11:12 Why the Digital Age Needs Regulation 2.0
12:26 Principles Based and Technology Neutral Frameworks
13:41 The Genius Act and Clarity Act Progress
14:55 The SEC Crypto Task Force Under Chairman Atkins
16:09 Moving Away From Regulation by Enforcement
17:24 US Embracing Global Leadership in Digital Finance
18:38 Tokenized Real World Assets
19:51 Stablecoins Extending US Dollar Dominance
21:04 The Convergence of TradFi and DeFi
22:18 Advice for Builders
23:32 Engaging With Regulators Early
24:45 Focus on Real Problems for Real Users
25:59 Closing

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  

*ETHConf 2026*
ETHConf is a 3 day event for founders, industry leaders, and builders who are excited about the possibilities of building on top of Ethereum.

Connect with 2,000+ top innovators in crypto, finance, technology, and policy at our inaugural three-day event packed with showcases, demos, partnerships, and conversations shaping the future of the global economy.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  

✅ *Follow ETHConf*
X: https://x.com/ethconf
Website: https://ethconf.com

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  

🎟️ Get your early bird tickets for ETHConf 2027: https://ethconf.com/2027#tickets
🎤 View the full ETHConf 2026 Speaker Schedule: https://ethconf.com/schedule

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _