Kristin Smith, the long -time CEO of the Blockchain Association, a leading lobby group for Crypto policy in Washington, is leaving next month to take a role as president of the new Solana Policy Institute, according to a Tuesday announcement.

“I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved together and am convinced that the future of the organization is light,” Smith said in a statement.

Earlier this week, Miller founded the Whitehouse-Veline organization and announced his position as CEO shortly after pulling down from the Defi Education Fund.

Although the group has not yet clarified its source of financing, its site said it will focus its message on “how decentralized networks like Solana is the future of the digital economy.”

Smith has been leading the Blockchain Association for almost seven years – a dramatic period for the development industry. Since the end of last year, the political reasons have been solidified under the feet of the sector as it finds allies running all levels of the US government, where crypto advocates have long tried to get a comprehensive set of rules.

Blockchain Association has been a key player in the industry’s lobbying.

The organization said its board of directors is now doing a search to replace Smith.

Whitehouse-Line once worked in this organization’s political operations.

“Innovators deserve to have the clarity they need to build a friction-free, internet-based global economy future, which we believe is achievable with the right laws, regulations and frameworks,” he said in a statement during this week’s launch of the Solana group.

Update (April 1, 2025, 19:09 UTC): Adds comment from Kristin Smith.