White House has vetted candidates for key CFTC vacancies, sources tell CNBC. It's unclear if they will be filled

The White House has vetted candidates for the four open commissioner positions at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission , three people with knowledge of the matter told CNBC. When — or if — the White House will ultimately act on those potential candidates isn't clear.

The CFTC's five commissioners are mandated to be members from the political party in the White House and two from the opposing one. But at the moment, the CFTC — which regulates derivatives contracts — currently only has one, chairman Michael Selig .

The agency oversees regulation for futures, options and swaps markets. It also plays a key role in regulating novel asset classes, like cryptocurrency , and under Selig as the sole commissioner has taken an aggressive approach to defend what it sees as its sole right to regulate growing prediction market platforms.

Bloomberg News reported earlier this year bipartisan names that the White House was potentially considering for the open seats. In early July, the Trump administration sent a letter to Senate leadership claiming Democrats hadn't delivered recommendations for vacancies on both the CFTC and Securities and Exchange Commission , explaining why it had yet to fill openings on both Wall Street regulatory bodies.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer , D-N.Y., sent a letter at the end of July with suggestions for the open Democratic slots at both regulatory agencies.

"Democrats support having full, bipartisan commissions," a spokesperson for Schumer's office said in a statement. "We have done our part and sent the White House names for the Democratic vacancies on the CFTC and SEC." The spokesperson added the office hasn't heard anything back from the White House, and that if the administration has vetted candidates and is ready to place nominations, it should act quickly and work with Democrats.

The White House did not respond to a request to comment for this story.

CNBC could not verify the names of who Schumer sent or if they were included in the candidates vetted by the White House.