Kristin Smith, the longtime CEO of the Blockchain Association, will step down next month to become president of the newly launched Solana Policy Institute, the organization announced on Tuesday.
“I am incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished together and confident that the organization’s future is bright,” Smith said in a statement.
The Solana Policy Institute, founded earlier this week by Miller Whitehouse-Levine, aims to advocate for decentralized networks, with its website emphasizing that “Solana is the future of the digital economy.” Whitehouse-Levine, who previously led the DeFi Education Fund, will serve as the institute’s CEO.
While the group has not disclosed its funding sources, its launch comes at a time when crypto advocacy is gaining momentum in Washington. Under Smith’s nearly seven-year leadership, the Blockchain Association played a pivotal role in lobbying for the crypto industry as regulatory discussions intensified across all levels of the U.S. government.
The Blockchain Association has now begun searching for Smith’s successor. Whitehouse-Levine, who once worked within the association’s policy operations, underscored the importance of regulatory clarity in a statement:
“Innovators deserve to have the clarity they need to build a frictionless, Internet-based global economy — a future we believe is achievable with the right laws, rules, and frameworks.”
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