Kristin Smith
@KristinSmith
President @SolanaInstitute, Interim CEO @BlockchainAssn
203 Following 31.9K Followers
Support for building the next generation of finance in America crosses party lines. That gives the next Congress real room to work together, whichever party is in charge. Thank you, @Ipsos and @fund_defi, for bringing this to light.
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One week out from the midterms, we’ve got hot new research from @Ipsos and @fund_defi on how Americans view the US financial system and new technologies like crypto and DeFi.
Americans are using crypto more and want to try DeFi for everyday finance. Candidates should take note.
A few things stand out:
More than 1 in 5 Americans (22%) have owned or used crypto, up from 18% in 2025. It holds across parties: 24% of Republicans and 21% of Democrats.
Crypto use is growing faster than understanding. Only 9% of Americans say they’re extremely or very familiar with crypto, and 35% aren’t sure how to describe it.
DeFi’s appeal is practical. Among Americans likely to try it, 85% would use it to save money and 82% to send money to friends or family in the US Both numbers are up from last year.
1 in 3 Americans (35%) say it’s important for candidates to support building the next generation of financial technology in the US. Republicans (15%) and Democrats (13%) are nearly identical in calling it extremely or very important that candidates back crypto, blockchain, and DeFi.
Full findings:
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1/ My first full week as interim CEO of @BlockchainAssn was a busy one.
BA filed comments with Treasury, weighed in on the OCC’s final GENIUS rule, and launched a new push for tax clarity. Over at @SolanaInstitute, the team filed comments on the SEC's Reg Crypto proposal.
Rulemaking season is in full swing…
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made a few minor edits
My favorite part of @BlockchainAssn has always been the people. BA has always been a magnet for hardworking, talented people – including so many who’ve gone on to lead across our industry.
I got to work with @millercwl at BA…now he’s my boss at @SolanaInstitute! And he’s one of so many BA alumni doing incredible things.
That tradition continues with this team. Get to know them, hear what they have to say, and give them a follow.
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We have an opportunity to give Americans workable tax rules and builders a reason to build in the US.
@BlockchainAssn launched to make it easy to send a letter to your representatives to push for commonsense crypto tax rules.
Make your voice heard!
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1/ Today, Blockchain Association sent a letter to Senate and House leadership urging Congress to advance thoughtful, bipartisan digital asset tax legislation.
We're also launching so Americans can make their voices heard.
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For years, American builders sought clear rules for capital raises w/ crypto assets. It wasn’t a radical ask but a call for rational, notice & comment rulemaking. Chairman Atkins’s SEC is delivering the good governance the U.S. deserves. @BlockchainAssn offers comment to ensure the rules deliver on their promise.
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Crypto projects have spent a decade without a workable path to raise capital in the U.S. Reg Crypto is the first @SECGov proposal that starts from how networks actually launch, build, and mature.
The @SolanaInstitute team dug into the details. Our letter lays out the fixes that would make this framework work in practice, not just on paper.
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SPI filed comments supporting @SECgov’s Reg Crypto proposal, a significant step toward a fit-for-purpose fundraising, disclosure, and transition framework for crypto assets.
Our letter includes targeted recommendations to make the framework work in practice.
Read it here:
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The BA team is on the ground in Washington doing critical work for the entire industry.
Must-follows: @LindsayFraser0 and @JackSolowey of @BlockchainAssn for key policy and legal updates and insights.
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Getting GENIUS implementation right means respecting the protections Congress included for DeFi, drawing clear lines between issuers and secondary market activity, and ensuring compliance obligations are workable in practice.
Huge thanks to @JackSolowey, @Advocate4Web3 and our members for their hard work on this important response!
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I’ve worked on crypto policy in Washington since 2018, and I’ve rarely seen anyone in government fight harder for this industry than @PatrickJWitt. He believed America should be the crypto capital of the world, and he worked every day to make it happen.
Thank you, Patrick!
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🚨NEWS: @patrickjwitt’s detail to the White House Crypto Council has expired, ending his role as the council’s executive director, the White House confirmed in an email to me.
“The White House appreciates his service to the Trump administration and wishes him the best in his future endeavors,” an official said.
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The crypto industry has come a long way in Washington. From regulation by enforcement and de-banking to the Genius Act and agencies with the political cover to act.
"I think crypto, as an industry and a technology, is winning right now in Washington." - @KristinSmith
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WAGMI. We have real adults in charge. And they will make a regulatory environment where the good guys survive. Thank you @ChairmanSelig
Crypto is winning in Washington.
We’re right where we've wanted to be, thanks to @ChairmanSelig and Chairman @SECPaulSAtkins.
Thank you, @scarletfu and @BloombergTV, for having me on.
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A federal agency has never been so cool. 😎😎😎
1/ Today is Commissioner @HesterPeirce's last day at the SEC.
She joined the Commission in 2018 and for almost nine years, nobody in government stood up for American developers more consistently.
She leaves behind a deeply American idea: people should be free to build.
🧵
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1/ @SummerMersinger led BA through the most consequential stretch in crypto policy history, and she left it a stronger industry voice on the Hill than ever.
Thank you, Summer, for your leadership.
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1/ We didn’t blow our big moment. This is our moment.
Let’s step back and remember how we got here.
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1/ We are closer to getting Clarity across the finish line than we have ever been.
Our industry is showing up. People on the Hill, letters being sent, Senators hearing from constituents. Keep it up!
I want to talk about the calendar and why the Senate *must* move now.
🧵
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This is our moment.
Getting the Clarity Act to the Senate floor will take all of us speaking up and making the case for why it matters.
Visit Tell your story. Make your voice heard. Let’s finish the job before August recess.
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@burgessev That’s not what I’m hearing from those involved in negotiations.
The window is tight, but the path remains clear.
I’ve had many conversations since this came out yesterday, and it doesn’t reflect the current state of play.
There is a clear path to pass the Clarity Act before the recess on August 7 – and we must seize it.
To the crypto community: This is our moment. We can get this done. 🇺🇸
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