Bart Chilton, a former top derivatives regulator who criticized high-frequency trading but was bullish on the rise of cryptocurrencies, has died at the age of 58.
Mr. Chilton served as a Democratic commissioner on the Commodity Futures Trading Commission from 2007-14, helping the commission draft new rules for swaps trading following the financial crisis. In recent years, he took on a variety of disparate projects: backing an oil-based cryptocurrency, hosting a show on the Russian state-funded foreign television network RT, and a stint at the law firm DLA Piper.
A family member told CNBC the cause of death was complications from pancreatic cancer.
With a trademark shock of shoulder-length alabaster hair, an endless barrel of aphorisms, and an energetic demeanor in front of television cameras, Mr. Chilton parlayed his force of personality into attention for regulatory issues that might otherwise have been overlooked. He took a special interest in trying to reimburse customers whose funds were held by the brokerage firm MF Global Holdings Ltd. when it failed in 2011, peppering his speech with rock lyrics to get his point across.
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