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.
