Senate Confirms Former Bitfury Executive Jonathan Gould as OCC Head

The US Senate has confirmed Jonathan Gould, former chief legal officer of blockchain infrastructure company Bitfury, as the new head of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) following a narrow 50-45 vote on Thursday. Gould brings significant experience in both traditional banking regulation and cryptocurrency industry operations to the role, having previously served as the OCC's senior deputy comptroller and chief counsel from 2018 to 2021. He currently works as a partner at Cleveland-based law firm Jones Day.

Gould's confirmation represents the latest in a series of crypto-friendly appointments by President Donald Trump since taking office in January. The Senate has already confirmed Paul Atkins to lead the Securities and Exchange Commission, and is expected to vote soon on Brian Quintenz's nomination to chair the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. These appointments signal a dramatic shift in US financial regulatory leadership toward positions more favorable to digital assets.

The new OCC head is expected to serve a five-year term, replacing acting head Rodney E. Hood. Gould's appointment continues a pattern of former cryptocurrency industry executives moving into key regulatory positions, similar to Brian Brooks, who served as acting Comptroller from 2020 to 2021 after working at Coinbase and later became Bitfury's CEO. This trend reflects the Trump administration's apparent strategy to install leaders with direct cryptocurrency industry experience in crucial regulatory roles, alongside other crypto-friendly appointments like Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

Gould's confirmation comes as Congress prepares to advance comprehensive digital asset legislation. Senate lawmakers have set a September 30 deadline to draft and vote on market structure legislation for digital assets, while House Republicans plan to move forward with their Digital Asset Market Clarity Act starting Monday. These legislative efforts, combined with new regulatory leadership, suggest significant changes ahead for cryptocurrency regulation in the United States.