As the U.S. CFTC expands its regulation of cryptocurrencies and prediction markets, it disbands its "top enforcement" team

According to market news, the enforcement team at the Chicago office of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has completely resigned. This office was once regarded as the agency's "top enforcement force," previously having 20 enforcement attorneys, and now none remain.

This staff reduction comes as the CFTC seeks to significantly expand its regulatory scope into the cryptocurrency and prediction market sectors. Reports indicate that the same leadership responsible for the CFTC's staff cuts last year had actively advocated for the agency's jurisdiction to cover most of the cryptocurrency markets and sports prediction platforms. Caroline Pham, who served as the acting chair of the CFTC in 2025, pushed for a reduction of over 21% in the agency's workforce last year, and she is currently employed at the cryptocurrency company MoonPay.

Former CFTC enforcement attorneys stated that this layoff is targeted, as the Chicago office has specialized experience and a key role in reaching multi-billion dollar settlements with cryptocurrency companies like FTX and Binance.