Brian Quintenz Publishes Texts with Gemini Founders
Brian Quintenz, tapped by U.S. President Donald Trump to chair the CFTC, has made public a series of text messages exchanged with Gemini co-founders Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, Quintenz said he released the texts out of concern that Trump “might have been misled” by the twins.
The messages, dated July 25, show Tyler Winklevoss raising complaints about Gemini’s settlement with the CFTC earlier this year — a case that ended with a $5 million fine in January.
“The CFTC totally abused the deliberative process privilege amongst many other abuses to prevent us from even being able to defend ourselves fairly in court,” Tyler wrote.
Accusations of Pressure and Interference
According to Quintenz, the Winklevoss twins were pressing him for assurances against what they described as the agency’s “lawfare trophy hunting.”
“I believe these texts make it clear what they were after from me, and what I refused to promise,” Quintenz said. He added that soon after this exchange, the brothers contacted the White House to request his confirmation be paused.
Quintenz suggested the move was motivated by concerns beyond what was reflected in the texts.
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Senate Confirmation Delayed
The U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry had been expected to question Quintenz in late July. However, the White House reportedly intervened, delaying the hearing just before lawmakers began their summer recess.
As of now, the Senate vote on Quintenz’s confirmation remains pending.
Gemini IPO Adds High-Stakes Drama
The disclosure of these texts comes at a sensitive time for Gemini. Founded by the Winklevoss brothers in 2014, the crypto exchange is preparing for its initial public offering (IPO) on Friday, with a target valuation of $3 billion.
It remains unclear whether Quintenz’s revelations will influence investor sentiment or regulatory scrutiny ahead of the IPO.
