Crypto Advocate French Hill Picked to Lead House Financial Services Committee in 2025

Congressman French Hill has been appointed as the next chair of the House Financial Services Committee.

He will succeed North Carolina’s Patrick McHenry, who is retiring after a 20-year stint in Congress, including multiple terms leading Republicans on the board.

Hill’s Vision

The Arkansas Republican announced the news on December 13 via X:

“I am humbled that my colleagues have placed their trust in me to lead FinancialCmte as their next Chairman.”

The party’s steering committee appointed the lawmaker to the role on Thursday while finalizing committee leadership for the 119th Congress, which begins next year. This position means Hill will be key for legislative initiatives for the crypto industry that will take shape in the coming year.

In a formal statement, the 68-year-old highlighted his promise to work closely with Speaker Mike Johnson, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Majority Whip Tom Emmer, and House Republican Conference Chair Lisa McClain in the future.

He also mentioned that he’s looking forward to collaborating with President-elect Donald Trump and Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott on what he described as “a new era of American prosperity’ for all citizens.

Crypto Legislative Efforts

The Financial Services Committee oversees critical areas, including the Federal Reserve, Wall Street regulations, and the increasingly scrutinized cryptocurrency sector. Hill, who currently chairs the Digital Assets, Financial Technology, and Inclusion subcommittee, has been a vocal proponent of crypto-related legislation.

His efforts include championing bills to clarify regulatory jurisdiction between the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodities and Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). He has also collaborated with California Representative Maxine Waters on stablecoin legislation, though the bill was ultimately not introduced.

Additionally, the Arkansan has pledged to investigate Operation Chokepoint 2.0, which he described as an initiative targeting the cryptocurrency sector through politicized debanking.

Trump has previously vowed to end the Biden administration’s war on crypto. Following his re-election, reports came out that his transition team was considering various crypto-friendly candidates for key regulatory positions.

Since then, the President-elect has appointed David Sacks as AI and Crypto Czar and Paul Atkins as the SEC’s new chairman. Hill will officially take on the leadership role when the new congressional session convenes on January 3, 2025.