Washington, D.C. (Jan. 30, 2026) – Blockchain Association (BA) today announced the 2026 co-chairs of its member-led working groups, which bring together industry experts to support policy engagement, education, and collaboration.
Working groups are a core part of Blockchain Association’s approach to building consensus and providing policymakers with informed, practical perspectives. The 2026 co-chairs bring deep experience across policy, legal, technical, and operational disciplines and will work closely with BA staff and members throughout the year. BA’s antitrust policy applies to all working groups.
“Our working groups are where industry expertise meets policy engagement,” said Summer Mersinger, CEO of Blockchain Association. “I’m grateful to these leaders for stepping forward to help guide this work and strengthen our collective voice in Washington.”
The 2026 Working Group co-chairs include:
Blockchain Infrastructure
• Gerald Gallagher, General Counsel, Sei Labs
• Eme Housser, Senior Director, Legal & Regulatory, Figment Inc.
DeFi
• Brian Nistler, Head of Policy; Associate General Counsel, Protocol Growth, Uniswap Labs
• Claire Wells, Chief Legal Officer, Kiln
DePIN
• Robert Baldwin, Director of Policy and Government Affairs, Jump Crypto
• Jacob Hample, Head of Global Government Affairs, Filecoin Foundation
Investment Fund
• Katrina Paglia, General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer, Pantera Capital
• Jay Stolkin, Deputy General Counsel, Multcoin Capital
National Security & Cybersecurity
• TJ Connolly, Principal Engineer, Fireblocks
• Carlos Moreira, Government Solutions Architect, Anchorage Digital
Privacy Technology
• Kurt Opsahl, Associate General Counsel for Cybersecurity and Civil Liberties, Filecoin Foundation
• J.W. Verret, Board member Zcash Foundation, Corporate/Banking Law Professor, Zcash Foundation
Stablecoin
• Francesco Castella, Senior Manager, Circle
• Kevin Wysocki, Head of Policy, Anchorage Digital
Tax
• Colin McLaren, Head of Government Relations, Solana Policy Institute
• Lawrence Zlatkin, Vice President, Tax, Coinbase
Trading Firm
• Daniel Gerhardstein, Head of Policy, Jump Crypto
• Joshua Riezman, Chief Legal and Strategy Officer, GSR
“We’re excited to launch Blockchain Association’s 2026 policy engagement program with a refined set of strategic working groups, alongside new workstreams – focused, goal-oriented initiatives that empower members to engage on emerging and specialized priorities,” said Blockchain Association’s Policy Engagement Manager Michael Postupak. “We also want to congratulate this year’s working group co-chairs, whose leadership and expertise will help drive meaningful progress. Building on the momentum of 2025, this evolution ensures the Association remains a dynamic force for policy, education, and dialogue.”
