American Innovation Project

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)

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: coindesk.com/business/2025/…

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: solanapolicyinstitute.org/project-open

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: harrisx.com/posts/national…

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: research.grayscale.com/reports/2026-d…

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

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: cedarinnovation.org

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!

📣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: americaninnovationproject.org/post/represent…

@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: blog.uniswap.org/unification

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: solanapolicyinstitute.org/project-open

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.

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: multicoin.capital/2026/02/06/mul…

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: coinbase.com/blog/unlocking…

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: hedera.com/learning/block…

In a survey of 5,500 business and IT leaders across 22 countries, 91% said roles have already changed within their companies because of AI. The transformation is happening now, faster than most policy discussions acknowledge. Workforce policy needs to catch up to what employers are already doing. That means funding for upskilling programs, clearer pathways for workers to gain AI fluency, and support for companies trying to retrain existing employees rather than replace them. Read a16z's analysis 👇

More myth-busting from @NatCryptoAssoc: nca.org/article/crypto…

Crypto is increasingly becoming part of everyday financial life for millions of Americans across demographics. Understanding who uses crypto (and why) is essential for anyone shaping policy around it.

There's a common assumption that cryptocurrency appeals to a narrow demographic: young men in tech. The data tells a different story: 1 in 5 Americans now own crypto 31% of holders are women More holders are over 55 than under 25 More info from @NatCryptoAssoc 👇