The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has appointed crypto defence lawyer David Miller to lead its shrinking enforcement division as the agency scales back actions under President Donald Trump.
Miller, most recently a litigation partner at Greenberg Traurig, takes over as the CFTC simultaneously seeks to expand its remit over crypto markets and prediction platforms despite heavy staff reductions.
“Miller has a proven track record of defending market participants against the novel legal theories of overzealous regulators and plaintiffs,”
Said CFTC chair Mike Selig.
“He will play a critical role in ensuring the division is focused on its core purpose of policing fraud, abuse, and manipulation rather than setting policy.”
The enforcement division has experienced sweeping cuts since Trump’s return to office, with the agency’s Chicago office, once staffed by 20 enforcement attorneys, reporting none as of 10 February.
In a separate statement, Miller said he aims to both “foster innovation” and protect “the integrity of U.S. markets, including from fraud, abuse, and manipulation,” even as enforcement activity has fallen sharply.
The scale of the pullback is reflected in fiscal year data, with the CFTC securing $17.1 billion in monetary relief in 2024 before that figure dropped more than 99.9% to $9.2 million in 2025.
Miller previously served as a federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York, worked as a lawyer for the CIA and acted as a consultant on the television drama Billions, bringing a blend of enforcement and industry experience to the regulator at a pivotal moment for crypto oversight.