Where Crypto Policy Goes from Here📈
What people were saying at the Blockchain Association Policy Summit.
Hey! I’m Veronica Irwin, Unchained’s regulatory reporter.
The crypto industry is ringing in 2025 with a lot more excitement than a year ago. At least, the members of the Blockchain Association are.
The mood at this week’s Blockchain Association Policy Summit in Washington, DC was cautiously optimistic, as the policy organization’s member companies and pro-crypto politicians discussed how to maximize crypto’s wins in the November elections and establish regulatory clarity. While mainstage talks (and boozy after-hours dinners and parties) were largely celebratory in tone, sideline meetings and working groups focused on hashing out points of disagreement between crypto companies to make sure the industry didn’t fumble a chance to pass favorable legislation.
As Kristin Smith, the association’s executive director, explained to me on Tuesday, electing pro-crypto politicians to Congress and the presidency was only half the battle. Now, the industry needs to get organized so it can deliver a cohesive and clear message to Washington on how it wants them to “get policy done.”
Since the speeches given at the event are going to be posted online, I decided to cover the summit through a series of short interviews with key industry players about what they're spending their energy on as the year comes to a close. Enjoy!
P.S. I’d love to hear about what you’re looking forward to (or watching out for) in crypto policy next year. Drop me a line at veronica@unchainedcrypto.com
Former CFTC Chairman Chris Giancarlo explains how Trump could reset U.S. crypto policy, why he supports Brian Quintenz for CFTC chair, and whether he thinks the U.S. will launch a CBDC.
Dave Grimaldi, EVP of the Blockchain Association, explains how Democrats’ attitudes toward crypto are shifting post-election, the rise of the crypto voter, and why stablecoin legislation might arrive sooner than market structure reform.
At the Blockchain Association Policy Summit in DC, BA CEO Kristin Smith explains what a pro-crypto Congress and president mean for the industry and what could bring builders back to the U.S.
Marta Belcher, president of the Filecoin Foundation, shares her insights on the likelihood of passing FIT21, stablecoin legislation, and what’s next for crypto policy.
Amanda Tuminelli, chief legal officer at the DeFi Education Fund, unpacks the implications of Section 1960 and the Tornado Cash case, highlighting how evolving interpretations of money transmission laws could criminalize developers.
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