Gensler v Trump: an interview with the most controversial man in American finance

At the Bitcoin conference over the weekend, Donald Trump promised that if he returns to office, he will fire the chair of the US Securities and Exchange Commission, Gary Gensler. The assembled crypto community cheered. We speak to Mr Gensler about how his term as SEC chair is panning out, from oversight of equity and Treasury markets, to becoming the villain of the crypto world. Also, would Mr Trump really get to fire Mr Gensler? Probably not—but what about the heads of America’s other major regulatory institutions, like the Fed? Hosts: Alice Fulwood, Tom Lee-Devlin and Mike Bird. Guests: Gary Gensler, chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission; Peter Conti-Brown, professor of financial regulation at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Transcripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcasts. Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.