Kristin Smith Keynote Speaker

President of the Solana Policy Research Institute
Executive Director of the Blockchain Association (2019-2025)
Leading public voice advocating for the cryptocurrency and blockchain industry

Kristin Smith's Biography

Kristin Smith was the Executive Director of the Blockchain Association (2019-2025), the Washington DC-based trade association representing more than 80 of the industry’s leading companies. Kristin served as a liaison between policymakers and the cryptocurrency industry to assist in the creation of legislation and regulation that promotes the growth of the cryptocurrency ecosystem in the U.S. She is now President of the Solana Policy Research Institute (2025–present).

She is also a leading, public voice advocating for the cryptocurrency and blockchain industry through top-tier media interviews, op-eds and letters to the editor, and global speaking engagements. Kristin is a renowned voice for the industry, having been featured on Fortune’s 2020 40 under 40 list, CoinDesk’s 2021 50 people who defined the year in crypto, and CoinTelegraph’s 2022 top 100 Influencers in Crypto and Blockchain.

Prior to leading the 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 ten years, much of which was spent focusing on technology policy. She co-founded HODLpac and currently serves on the organization’s board of directors. She serves on the board of the Filecoin Foundation for the Decentralized Web and is an independent director for SkyBridge Capital’s G and GII Funds.

She brings unmatched policy credibility at the heart of US crypto regulation, having led the Blockchain Association as Executive Director and now shaping the agenda as President of the Solana Policy Research Institute.
She helps leaders understand what lawmakers and regulators are likely to do next, translating Washington dynamics into clear implications for strategy, compliance and growth.
She offers rare insight into how policy is made, drawing on nearly a decade on Capitol Hill and years as the industry’s primary liaison to policymakers.
She equips organisations to communicate with authority and credibility, leveraging extensive media experience and a track record as one of the sector’s most recognised public voices.
She brings a pragmatic, ecosystem-wide perspective informed by board roles across crypto and finance, helping audiences stress-test assumptions and navigate risk in a fast-evolving market.