Blockchain Association names Kristin Smith interim CEO as Mersinger steps down

2 min

Blockchain Association is executing a planned leadership transition as U.S. digital-asset policy shifts from enforcement disputes to active rulemaking: Summer Mersinger steps down as CEO on October 16 and remains an adviser through the end of 2026; founding leader Kristin Smith returns as interim CEO on October 17.

TL;DR

CEO change: Summer Mersinger departs October 16; remains an adviser through December 2026.
Interim leadership: Founding leader Kristin Smith returns as interim CEO on October 17.
Context: Shift to active U.S. rulemaking on stablecoins and market structure increases policy stakes.

Leadership Update

Blockchain Association announced that CEO Summer Mersinger will step down on October 16. Kristin Smith, the group’s first employee in 2018 and former chief executive until 2025, will return as interim CEO on October 17. Mersinger will advise through the end of 2026 to support the transition.

Mersinger became CEO in June 2025 after serving as a commissioner at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Her tenure aligned with expanded U.S. guidance on digital assets and progress on stablecoin legislation, during which the Association increased engagement with lawmakers and agencies. Smith also serves as president of the Solana Policy Institute. The Association will begin the search for a permanent chief executive.

Policy Backdrop: From Defense to Rulemaking

Crypto lobbying in Washington has shifted from resisting enforcement-led approaches to shaping statutory and regulatory frameworks. Stablecoin legislation is advancing, federal regulators are issuing more detailed guidance, and Congress is debating broader market-structure legislation. The focus has moved from whether crypto should have rules to the substance of those rules.