Crypto Industry Lobbying Group CEO Departs

By Vicky Ge HuangBlockchain Association said on Tuesday that Chief Executive Kristin Smith will leave the lobbying group for another opportunity in the crypto industry.Smith said she will join the newly-established Solana Policy Institute as president on May 19. She will remain in her current role through May 16 to help search for a new CEO.Blockchain Association was founded in 2018 by a group of crypto companies to influence policy conversations related to crypto. The Washington D.C.-based industry group now includes 125 member companies and employs 17 full-time staff.Solana Policy Institute was launched on Monday by Miller Whitehouse-Levine, the former chief executive of another industry lobbying group focused on decentralized finance called DeFi Education Fund."It's a whole pro-crypto army here in Washington right now, and it's really heartening," said Smith in an interview. "My job was to help put that infrastructure together. Between Blockchain Association and many of our partner organizations that we work with, it's really strong and I decided this is a good time to leave."