Kevin Warsh was sworn in as the 17th Chairman of the Federal Reserve on May 22, 2026, in a White House ceremony where Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas administered the oath. The event caps a months-long nomination process that began in January and culminated in a Senate confirmation along party lines on May 13.
Here’s the thing that makes this appointment unlike any in the Fed’s 113-year history: Warsh disclosed investments in over 30 crypto projects. His financial portfolio, valued between $131 million and over $209 million, includes holdings in Solana and a direct stake in a spot Bitcoin ETF. This is the first time a sitting Fed Chair has acknowledged such direct involvement in the crypto market.
A former Fed governor returns with a different playbook
Warsh is not a newcomer to the Federal Reserve. He previously served on the Fed Board of Governors from 2006 to 2011, a tenure that spanned the worst of the global financial crisis. Warsh’s term as chair runs for four years, and he will serve a total of 14 years as governor.
During his confirmation hearings, Warsh offered a statement that would have been unthinkable from a Fed chair candidate even five years ago: digital assets, he said, are already woven into the fabric of the US financial services industry.
What the crypto portfolio actually means
His disclosed positions span more than 30 digital asset projects. The Solana holdings and spot Bitcoin ETF stake are the most notable, but the breadth of the portfolio suggests someone who has been actively engaged with the space, not just parking money in Bitcoin as a hedge.
The previous Fed leadership under Jerome Powell maintained a posture that ranged from cautious to openly skeptical toward crypto. Powell consistently framed digital assets as requiring careful regulatory consideration, and his Fed oversaw several high-profile enforcement actions and banking restrictions that made life difficult for crypto firms seeking access to traditional financial rails.