United States President Donald Trump is set to interview Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller as a potential successor to current Fed Chair Jerome Powell, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The interview is part of Trump’s broader search for a new Federal Reserve chair ahead of Powell’s term ending in May next year.
Waller is among five candidates being considered for the role, alongside former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh and National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett.
Warsh and Hassett are widely viewed as the leading contenders, with Trump having interviewed Warsh last week.
Waller joined the Federal Reserve Board of Governors in 2020 after being nominated by Trump during his first term.
He is known for holding relatively favourable views toward digital assets, including stablecoins and decentralised finance.
“I wanted to send a message that this is a new era for the Federal Reserve in payments — the DeFi industry is not viewed with suspicion or scorn,” Christopher Waller said.
Waller has previously described stablecoins as a new form of private money that can coexist with traditional payment systems.
Betting data from decentralised prediction market Polymarket assigns Waller a 15% chance of being nominated as the next Fed Chair.
Hassett currently leads the odds with a 52% probability, followed by Warsh at 29%.
Despite his lead, Hassett has reportedly faced resistance from senior figures close to Trump, according to CNBC.
Trump has been openly critical of Powell, particularly over disagreements on the speed and scale of interest rate cuts.
Powell has overseen rate reductions at three consecutive Federal Open Market Committee meetings.
The federal funds rate currently sits within a target range of 3.50% to 3.75%.
Powell has signalled a cautious approach to further cuts due to ongoing economic uncertainty.
Trump has repeatedly pushed for faster and deeper cuts, calling for rates to fall to 1% or lower.
Waller has been described as a leading internal advocate for rate cuts within the Federal Reserve.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Waller has earned support on Wall Street for his arguments backing recent policy easing.
However, the report noted Waller is still viewed as a heavy underdog due to his limited personal relationship with Trump.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Trump is expected to announce his Fed Chair pick next month.
Some crypto market observers believe a new Fed Chair could act as a bullish catalyst for digital assets.
Tom Lee said a leadership change could push the central bank toward a more dovish stance.