President
Solana Policy Institute
Kristin Smith is President of Solana Policy Institute, a non-profit organization devoted to advocating for public policies that allow networks like Solana to flourish. She serves as a liaison between policymakers and the Solana ecosystem to assist in the creation of legislation and regulation that promotes the growth of the industry in the U.S. Prior to SPI, Kristin was CEO of Blockchain Association, the Washington, D.C.-based trade association representing the crypto industry’s leading companies.
Kristin has been a renowned voice for the industry, having been featured on Fortune’s 40 under 40 list, Washingtonian’s Most Influential People and Tech Titans, CoinDesk’s 50 people who defined the year in crypto, The Hill’s Top Lobbyists, and CoinTelegraph’s top 100 Influencers in Crypto and Blockchain. Prior to leading Blockchain Association, Kristin helped blockchain and technology companies achieve their public policy objectives in Washington. She served as a Senate and congressional aide on Capitol Hill for nearly 10 years, much of which was spent focusing on technology policy.
Regulation is no longer a backdrop to digital asset strategy—it defines the playing field. For TradFi leaders, understanding the current regulatory state of play in the United States is fundamental to charting strategy around stablecoins, tokenization, custody, decentralized finance (DeFi), and on-chain settlement. This panel will cut through noise to provide clarity on where U.S. policy has moved, where it is heading, and what that means for institutional strategy, risk management, and competitive positioning.
Panelists will explore the most consequential U.S. regulatory developments of 2025—from landmark stablecoin legislation to evolving jurisdictional debates between the SEC and CFTC and the approval of some crypto companies into federally chartered national banks—what’s likely for 2026, and how TradFi can engage proactively with policy, shape outcomes, and manage risks while embracing the opportunities presented by on-chain finance. The session will emphasize the practical implications, including: