Today, trading stocks and options, wagering on an MLB game and buying cryptocurrency are just a swipe away — sometimes in the same app. The merging of these markets makes a strong case to merge the two federal agencies charged with regulating them, the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

And now is the time to do it. The Senate Agriculture Committee, which oversees the CFTC, has been squabbling over President Donald Trump’s nominated chair, Brian Quintenz. The remaining CFTC commissioners have indicated they plan to leave by the end of the year. Meanwhile, the SEC will likely have a Republican vacancy in the near future when Commissioner Hester Peirce’s term ends.

This setup creates a perfect scenario for Congress to pass legislation to merge

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