American Innovation Project

Nonpartisan nonprofit fostering dialogue on technology & America’s future. We are committed to boosting American innovation through policymaker education.

[American Innovation Project @AIPLeads]

We're thrilled to share that Allie Page (@cows2crypto ) will be AIP's first Executive Director! Allie has extensive experience in policy operations, strategic planning, and coalition building, and will be critical in helping us action our mission of tech policy education. 🧵 (1/4)

[American Innovation Project @AIPLeads]

Earlier this week, @JacobSmagula started his fellowship working as a congressional staffer in the offices of Rep.
@RepRitchie.

He spent the spring learning policy fundamentals and regulatory frameworks for crypto, AI, and more. This is what he says to say about the AIP fellowship training and his transition to working on the Hill!

[American Innovation Project @AIPLeads]

More info about the AIP Fellowship: https://t.co/HMMdwqzGNp

[American Innovation Project @AIPLeads]

Today, @JacobSmagula and Hugo Swangstu start the next phase of their AIP Policy Fellowship: working as congressional staff in the offices of Reps @RepRitchie and @repscfigures – two Congressional leaders actively engaged on technology policy.

Jacob and Hugo have spent the spring learning policy fundamentals and regulatory frameworks for crypto, AI, and more. Now, they'll put that knowledge to work on the Hill, alongside some of the best.

Stay tuned! We'll be sharing their learnings.

[American Innovation Project @AIPLeads]

When Congress passed the GENIUS Act, the question was whether regulatory clarity would actually change industry behavior. @exodus offers one answer: the company launched Exodus Pay in all 50 states in April 2026, calling it the first consumer product built for the post-GENIUS regulatory environment.

Exodus serves 1.5 million monthly active users. 1.4 million of them hold assets in self-custody wallets, managing their own funds without an intermediary.

As companies build on this new regulatory foundation, AIP is here to help policymakers sustain the momentum.

Read more from @exodus: https://t.co/h4tvrDs2A2

[American Innovation Project @AIPLeads]

Colorado residents can pay state taxes in crypto, and it costs the state less to process than credit card payments.

Credit card fees typically run 2-3% of the transaction value. For a state processing hundreds of millions in tax payments, those fees add up. Colorado is one of the first states to accept crypto for routine citizen-to-government transactions, generating real data on whether the cost savings hold at scale.

For policymakers in other states weighing similar programs, understanding what Colorado learned is the first step. AIP exists to help policymakers learn from real-world applications... like Colorado's.

Read more from @coinbase: https://t.co/00L92pfoCY

[American Innovation Project @AIPLeads]

The tokenized real-world asset market has doubled in the past year to exceed $26 billion, according to data cited by @SkyBridge.

SkyBridge itself is tokenizing $300 million in fund assets on blockchain to improve settlement speed and operational efficiency. When traditional asset managers adopt this infrastructure, the policy conversation shifts from whether to permit it to how to supervise it effectively.

AIP's mission is to help policymakers understand these shifts so they can write rules that keep pace with how markets are actually evolving.

Read more from @SkyBridge: https://t.co/6BrUPXR92E

[American Innovation Project @AIPLeads]

According to @SolanaInstitute's Project Open proposal, equity settlement on blockchain systems can happen in seconds rather than the current one-business-day standard.

This structural difference matters: faster settlement reduces the window for counterparty risk and lowers the operational costs of maintaining positions overnight.

Understanding what blockchain settlement actually does is necessary for evaluating any proposal to change market infrastructure.

Read more from @SolanaInstitute: https://t.co/r27og2R4uE

[American Innovation Project @AIPLeads]

According to @HarrisXdata, 56% of voters say digital payment systems built and controlled outside the US would weaken American national security.

When asked if it's important the US set global rules for digital finance, 62% said yes, they do not want to see the US cede that role to other jurisdictions.

Voters increasingly see digital finance as a strategic competition issue, not just a technology question. AIP is here to serve as a resource for policymakers working to write rules that ensure the US shapes these issues globally rather than letting other countries take the lead.

Read more from @HarrisXdata: https://t.co/ILIT7qhnle

[American Innovation Project @AIPLeads]

According to @DCGco's Grayscale Research, stablecoins now process $1.1 trillion in monthly transactions. Crypto ETPs have attracted $87 billion since January 2024.

Yet less than half a percent of US advised wealth is allocated to digital assets. While the infrastructure exists, the capital is waiting on the sidelines.

What happens next depends on how Congress chooses to regulate these markets, and writing good rules requires understanding how they actually work. AIP is here to serve as a resource to policymakers working hard to write rules that work.

Read more from @DCGco: https://t.co/M1zyAqcISP

[HarrisX @HarrisXdata]

NEW: HarrisX national survey finds strong bipartisan support for American leadership in digital finance — and majority support for passing the CLARITY Act.

Our latest study of 2,008 registered voters shows Americans want clear federal rules for crypto and digital assets. 👇
#Crypto #CLARITYAct #Fintech

[American Innovation Project @AIPLeads]

A poll commissioned by @CIFonX surveyed 1,825 voters across 20 competitive Congressional districts. The result: 61% support new federal crypto laws, with backing from 71% of Democrats, 56% of Independents, and 51% of Republicans.

74% want Congress to create "clear rules of the road" that both protect consumers and encourage innovation. Only 15% believe current laws are appropriate.

Crypto regulation is a bipartisan voter issue, and AIP is excited to help educate policymakers as they work toward this national priority.

Read more from @CIFonX: https://t.co/33Au6VRmJ1

[Allie Page @cows2crypto]

Proud moment for @AIPLeads: our inaugural AIP Fellows have been selected. Congrats to @JacobSmagula and Hugo Swangstu. Thanks to @RepRitchie and @repscfigures for training the next generation of emerging tech policy leaders!

[American Innovation Project @AIPLeads]

📣NEW: U.S. Congressional leaders, Reps Figures and Torres, welcome our inaugural AIP Policy Fellows!

@JacobSmagula and Hugo Swangstu will serve in the offices of @RepRitchie and @repscfigures, respectively.

"The next generation of policymakers must understand the technologies reshaping our economy, national security, and daily lives. Jacob's placement in our office through the AIP Policy Innovation Fellowship reflects our commitment to building that capacity from the ground up. The Bronx deserves staff who are fluent in the technologies of the future, and I am proud to welcome Jacob to our team," said @RepRitchie Torres (D-NY-15).

"As technology continues to advance at a rapid pace, it's essential that Members of Congress are informed and prepared to craft sound tech policy," said Rep Shomari C. Figures (@repscfigures) (D-AL-02). "I look forward to having Hugo in our office and his expertise with tech policy will be a great asset to our office's legislative team."

The fellowship includes a multi-week virtual curriculum on crypto, AI, and tech policy, followed by hands-on training through placements in Member offices of both Republicans and Democrats on the House Financial Services and Agriculture Committees.

More here: https://t.co/duHy1EW62a

[American Innovation Project @AIPLeads]

@Uniswap has processed approximately $4 trillion in trades without a central order book. The protocol uses liquidity pools: users deposit assets, and an algorithm prices trades based on supply and demand.

There's no trading desk, no exchange operator, no counterparty. The smart contract handles matching automatically.

Rules designed for intermediaries don't map cleanly to automated protocols. Understanding how these systems actually work is a prerequisite for writing rules that fit.

Read more from @Uniswap: https://t.co/xoA3YJ0jVF

[American Innovation Project @AIPLeads]

The Phantom wallet, part of the Project Open coalition, serves over 15 million monthly users. Combined, they self-custody more than $25 billion in crypto assets.

For context, that's comparable to assets under management at a mid-sized regional bank. Users hold these funds directly, without an intermediary.

When regulators consider how to approach self-custody, it's important to remember the scale: crypto infrastructure is as significant as much banking infrastructure, and regulations must be written accordingly.

Read more from @SolanaInstitute: https://t.co/r27og2R4uE

[Blockchain Association @BlockchainAssn]

Great turnout last night in Las Vegas at our networking event on the sidelines of @TheBitcoinConf.

Thank you to our partners @Bitcoin_CBC and @TXblockchain_ for co-hosting, and to our sponsors Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP, FedHall Policy Advisors, VirgoCX, @AIPLeads, and @Insurance_CBC for making it possible.

We were honored to be joined by several Members of Congress and to catch up with so many of our members.

[American Innovation Project @AIPLeads]

According to @multicoin, decentralized finance protocols now manage $121 billion in capital, up from less than $1 billion in 2019. Stablecoin market capitalization has grown even faster, from under $1 billion to more than $310 billion today.

For context, that's larger than the market cap of most regional banks. These protocols offer lending, trading, and payments without traditional intermediaries, all functions that existing financial regulation wasn't designed to address.

Understanding how these systems actually work is a prerequisite for writing rules that make sense, and we want to make sure policymakers have a complete understanding of them as they write the rules that will govern them for years to come

Read more from @multicoin: https://t.co/CERVv6aaFP

[American Innovation Project @AIPLeads]

According to @coinbase, California's DMV has tokenized 42 million vehicle titles on blockchain, shifting the wait time for title transfers from weeks to minutes.

The largest state in the country now runs production infrastructure for digital vehicle records, using a system that eliminates paper-based delays and creates an immutable ownership record that can integrate with county, state, and federal databases.

Read @coinbase's full report on using blockchain to improve government efficiency:

https://t.co/00L92peQNq

[American Innovation Project @AIPLeads]

Environmental regulations are notoriously complex: rules and reporting requirements vary by region, and it’s often hard for companies to tell if they’re in compliance without an extensive audit.

As @hedera explains, this unnecessary friction adds cost and takes resources away from the environmental efforts themselves.

Blockchain offers a different approach: when energy data is stored on an immutable ledger, regulators can verify compliance directly from the record, without complex and expensive audits.

Several organizations are already building compliance tools on distributed ledgers. Policymakers should be aware of these potential frameworks as they consider blockchain-based reporting as a compliance mechanism.

Read @hedera's analysis: https://t.co/KMwiGotQR9