Kristin Smith Exits Blockchain Association to Lead Newly Launched Solana Policy Institute

Kristin Smith, CEO of the US-based Blockchain Association, will be leaving the cryptocurrency advocacy group for the recently launched Solana Policy Institute.

Kristin Smith, the CEO of the US-based Blockchain Association, will be leaving the cryptocurrency advocacy group for the recently launched Solana (SOL) Policy Institute.

The Blockchain Association (BA) said Smith will be stepping down from her role as CEO on May 16, according to an April 1 notice. The soon-to-be former CEO will become president of the Solana Policy Institute on May 19, the association added.

The association’s notice did not provide an apparent reason for the move to the Solana advocacy organization nor say who would lead the group after Smith’s departure. Cointelegraph reached out to the Blockchain Association for comment but did not receive a response at the time of publication.

Smith, who has worked at the BA since 2018 and was deputy chief of staff for former Montana Representative Denny Rehberg, will follow DeFi Education Fund CEO Miller Whitehouse-Levine, leaving his position to join the Solana Policy Institute as CEO. According to Whitehouse-Levine, the organization plans to educate US policymakers on Solana.

The crypto advocacy group, which has members from the industry such as Coinbase, Ripple Labs and Chainlink Labs, has filed a lawsuit against the US Internal Revenue Service, challenging regulations requiring brokers to report crypto transactions. The group often criticized the US Securities and Exchange Commission under former chair Gary Gensler for its “regulation by enforcement” approach to crypto, resulting in steep legal fees for many companies.

Less than 48 hours after the Solana Policy Institute’s launch, it’s unclear what the group’s immediate goals may be for engaging with US lawmakers and advocating for the industry. The organization described itself as a non-partisan 501(c)(3) non-profit group.