July 10, 2017

CFTC Acting Chairman Giancarlo Appoints Daniel Gorfine as LabCFTC Director and Chief Innovation Officer

Washington, DC — U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Acting Chairman J. Christopher Giancarlo today appointed Daniel Gorfine to serve as Director of LabCFTC and Chief Innovation Officer, effective immediately.

“Daniel is a well-respected leader whose expertise in market-enhancing fintech will help the CFTC disrupt the status quo and change the way government interacts with our ever-innovating marketplace," said Acting Chairman Giancarlo. "Daniel's addition to the team will move our LabCFTC initiative into its next phase and will further our efforts to make the CFTC a 21st century regulator for our 21st century digital markets."

"New technologies are increasingly transforming financial markets and services, and have the potential to positively impact market competition and efficiency, as well as how we transact, allocate and move capital, and make financial decisions," Gorfine said. "I am grateful to have this opportunity to implement the vision articulated by Acting Chairman Giancarlo in order to promote market-enhancing fintech innovation and incorporate emerging regulatory technologies that can help make the CFTC a 21st century digital regulator."

In this role, Gorfine will be responsible for coordinating closely with international regulatory bodies, other US regulators, and Capitol Hill to discuss best practices around implementing digital and agile regulatory frameworks and approaches for the CFTC.

Gorfine is an experienced leader focused on market-enhancing financial technology (fintech) innovation and related 21st century regulatory frameworks and approaches. He previously served as director of financial markets policy and legal counsel at the Milken Institute think tank where he focused on financial innovation, capital access, and financial market policy, and currently serves as an Adjunct Professor of Law at the Georgetown University Law School teaching Fintech Law & Policy. Gorfine was most recently Vice President, External Affairs & Associate General Counsel at OnDeck. Earlier in his career, Gorfine worked at the international law firm Covington & Burling LLP and served a clerkship with U.S. District Court Judge Catherine C. Blake in the District of Maryland.

A graduate of Brown University (A.B.), Gorfine holds a J.D. from George Washington University Law School and an M.A. from the Paul H. Nitze School for Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at Johns Hopkins University.

About LabCFTC

Launched in May this year, LabCFTC is an initiative aimed at promoting responsible fintech innovation to improve the quality, resiliency, and competitiveness of the markets the CFTC oversees. It is the agency’s focal point to promote fintech innovation and fair competition by making the CFTC more accessible to fintech innovators and serving as a platform to inform the CFTC’s understanding of new technologies. LabCFTC will be an information source for Commissioners and staff on responsible innovation that may influence policy development. More information about LabCFTC can be found at http://www.cftc.gov/LabCFTC/index.htm.

Last Updated: July 10, 2017