Summary
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Kristin Smith Resigns from Blockchain Association to Lead Solana Policy Institute: After six years as CEO of the Blockchain Association, Kristin Smith will become President of the newly formed Solana Policy Institute starting May 19th.
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Transition Details and Context: Smith’s departure from the Blockchain Association is effective May 16th; a successor has not been named. She joins Miller Whitehouse-Levine (former CEO of DeFi Education Fund) at the Solana Policy Institute.
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Background of Both Organizations: The Blockchain Association, comprising major crypto firms, is known for its advocacy and legal challenges against regulations (e.g., IRS lawsuit). The Solana Policy Institute, a nonpartisan nonprofit, aims to educate US policymakers on Solana.
Kristin Smith, the Chief Executive Officer of the Blockchain Association, a prominent advocacy group for the blockchain industry, is set to depart her position after six years to lead the newly established Solana Policy Institute.
Her move to this new role as President is scheduled for May 19th.
Kristin Smith to Head Solana Policy Institute After Blockchain Association Leadership
The Blockchain Association officially announced Smith’s resignation, stating her departure will be effective on May 16th.
The announcement revealed that Smith will then transition to the Solana Policy Institute to take on the role of President starting May 19th.
The Blockchain Association did not elaborate on the motivations behind Smith’s shift to the Solana-focused organization, nor did it name a successor to assume the CEO position following her exit.
Cointelegraph has sought comment from the Blockchain Association regarding this leadership transition, but as of writing, no response has been received.
Solana Policy Institute’s Emerging Role
Before her leadership at the Blockchain Association, which began in 2018, Smith served as Deputy Chief of Staff for former Montana Representative Denny Rehberg.
At the Solana Policy Institute, she will join Miller Whitehouse-Levine, formerly CEO of the DeFi Education Fund, who has also taken a position there as CEO.
Whitehouse-Levine has indicated that the Solana Policy Institute’s primary objective is to educate United States policymakers about the Solana ecosystem and its technologies.
During Smith’s tenure, the Blockchain Association, which counts major crypto players like Coinbase, Ripple Labs, and Chainlink Labs among its members, has been actively involved in regulatory and legal challenges within the cryptocurrency space.
Notably, the association initiated a lawsuit against the US Internal Revenue Service concerning regulations mandating crypto transaction reporting by brokers.
The organization has also been a vocal critic of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) approach to crypto regulation under former Chair Gary Gensler, frequently denouncing what it termed “regulation by enforcement,” which has imposed substantial legal costs on many crypto firms.
Launched recently, within the last 48 hours of the report, the Solana Policy Institute’s immediate objectives in engaging with U.S. lawmakers and advocating for the crypto sector are still not fully defined.
The organization has presented itself as a nonpartisan, not-for-profit entity.
Also Read: Blockchain Association Wants Congress to Eliminate the IRS Defi Regulation
The Blockchain Association and 75 firms are urging Congress to repeal an IRS law that deems DeFi software as brokers, arguing that it requires unnecessary data collection and may push US DeFi initiatives overseas. The law impacts software firms that do not own personal property by forcing them to collect and report personal identifying information and transaction details. The Blockchain Association has already launched a legal battle over the law, but CEO Kristin Smith believes convincing Congress to repeal it would take less time than any other course of action. The current adjustment may put too much pressure on developers working on DeFi systems, and compliance would significantly alter…[Read More]
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