Circle hires former CFTC chair Heath Tarbert as chief legal officer

The Circle subsidiary, the co-issuer of the stablecoin USDC — Circle — объявила the appointment of former CFTC chairman CFTC Heath Tarbert to the position of chief legal officer.

He will also join the executive leadership team, and starting July 1 will lead the corporate affairs department.

“As we continue to bridge traditional finance and Web3, Tarbert’s vision, legal acumen and global regulatory experience will help us increase the usefulness of USDC worldwide,” said Circle co-founder and CEO Jeremy Allaire.

Tarbert joined the CFTC in 2019. Under his leadership, the agency approved a definition of cryptocurrency delivery to customers, announced a competition to develop tools for tracking unregistered derivative offerings, and signaled a broad framework for digital asset regulation.

In 2019, the official stated that cryptocurrencies do not threaten the financial system, unlike a global stablecoin. Later he urged accelerating the legalization of cryptocurrencies, and in regulatory matters to be guided by broader principles.

Earlier in June 2023, Circle became the holder of a license MPI from the Monetary Authority of Singapore.