Mark Wetjen

Early life and education Wetjen grew up in Dubuque, Iowa. He received a bachelor’s degree from Creighton University and then a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Iowa College of Law.

Wetjen joined the CFTC in 2011. In late 2013, he became the acting chairman of the CFTC after Gary Gensler left the position. Wetjen served in the position for about five months. Wetjen championed the prioritization of end investors when developing risk-management policy at the CFTC. As sponsor of the Global Markets Advisory Committee, Wetjen convened the first public meeting by the CFTC in October 2014 to discuss the regulatory treatment of digital assets.

On November 3, 2014, in an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal, Wetjen called for the establishment of a governmental regulatory structure for Bitcoin. Wetjen resigned from the CFTC on August 28, 2015. He was later appointed chairman of DTCC DerivServ in 2019. While at DTCC Wetjen supported the adoption of enhanced risk-management standards for securities clearinghouses by the SEC and noted how they would promote international coordination.

Wetjen joined the startup exchange operator Miami International Holdings (MIAX Exchange Group) as the CEO of MIAX Futures in January 2020. Wetjen worked with MIAX to acquire the Minneapolis Grain Exchange.

In November 2021, Wetjen became the head of policy and regulatory strategy at FTX US, a company distinct from FTX.com. Wetjen was Sam Bankman-Fried’s top Washington advisor during his efforts to lobby the United States Congress to pass legislation on crypto currency. Wetjen's relationship with FTX ended when the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. His work with FTX has drawn scrutiny and criticism, given his prior government service. During his time in the industry in 2022, Wetjen called for comprehensive legislation to "plug oversight holes" and ensure consumer protections. He also has opined that federally supervised crypto markets would bring useful competition to U.S. capital markets.

Wetjen joined the law firm, Dentons, in 2024 and was appointed to the Law360 editorial advisory board for capital markets in 2025.

Personal life Wetjen lives in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, D.C., with his wife and two sons.