How an American commodities regulator became the unlikely star of “crypto Twitter”

The enthusiasts who populate “crypto Twitter,” an endless stream of gossip, memes, and financial speculation, have a new hero: top American commodities regulator J. Christopher Giancarlo.

The chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission had his star-making turn when he testified to the US Senate banking committee on Feb. 6. He gave the senators an education on crypto slang, and was largely positive about the promise of cryptocurrencies. He had a paltry 1,500 followers before the hearing, which rocketed to nearly 30,000 the following day and around 50,000 today.

Giancarlo has been called “Captain Crypto,” the slayer of ”FUD,” and #cryptodad. Images of him at the hearing have been turned into memes.

And what about Securities Exchange Commission chairman Jay Clayton, who testified alongside Giancarlo? He doesn’t have an official Twitter account.