Donald Battle, who advised the SEC’s crypto task force, joins the regulator as it expands digital asset enforcement capabilities.
The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission announced on Monday that Donald Battle will serve as chief data innovation officer, a newly created role designed to strengthen the regulator’s technical capacity in blockchain enforcement and digital asset oversight.
Battle previously worked as a blockchain data adviser for the CFTC and as a crypto enforcement specialist with the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. In January 2025, he joined the incoming Trump administration as an adviser to the SEC’s crypto task force, positioning him at the center of federal digital asset policy during a period of regulatory flux.
CFTC Chair Michael Selig cited Battle’s expertise in announcing the appointment, stating that the regulator sought someone with skills in “data science, blockchain forensics, programming interfaces, and cutting-edge AI solutions.” The appointment reflects the CFTC’s stated priority of building internal forensic and data analysis capabilities as its jurisdiction over digital assets expands.
Under Selig’s leadership, the CFTC has asserted exclusive jurisdiction over prediction market platforms including Kalshi and Polymarket, triggering lawsuits against state-level authorities that have sought to regulate these platforms independently. The regulator has also released a proposed rule distinguishing sports event contracts from “games of random chance,” a distinction that carries regulatory and legal implications for event-based derivatives trading. The public comment period for the sports event contracts framework closes in 45 days.
The appointment occurs as Congress moves to reshape digital asset regulation. The proposed CLARITY Act would overhaul the division of authority between the CFTC and the SEC, potentially clarifying which regulator holds primary responsibility for different asset classes and trading venues. Battle’s background in both SEC and CFTC work positions him to navigate the technical questions that such legislative changes will require.
The CFTC chair holds sole commissioner authority over many aspects of digital asset regulation and enforcement, concentrating significant decision-making power in the office that appointed Battle. His role as chief data innovation officer will likely inform the regulator’s technical positions in ongoing enforcement actions, proposed rulemaking, and congressional testimony regarding the scope of CFTC jurisdiction.
