The Digital Chamber, the oldest cryptocurrency advocacy group in the United States, is undergoing a leadership transition. Perianne Boring, the organization’s founder and longtime CEO, is stepping down after over a decade, becoming board chairman. Cody Carbone, the group’s president, will assume the role of chief executive officer next month.
The shift comes as the U.S. government begins embracing digital assets, with support from President Donald Trump and recent bipartisan progress on cryptocurrency legislation in Congress. The Chamber announced the leadership change as it prepares for next week’s annual Washington, D.C., blockchain summit.
Carbone, a former chief policy officer at the Chamber, has long been a key figure in cryptocurrency policy. His tenure as CEO begins at a critical moment for the industry, with two major pieces of legislation—stablecoin regulation and broader crypto market-structure rules—moving through Congress.
“We haven’t gotten anywhere, yet,”
Carbone said in an interview with CoinDesk. He acknowledged that while the industry has achieved political momentum, misconceptions and regulatory challenges remain. “Sky-high expectations” from crypto proponents, he added, mean that the Chamber must now focus on turning advocacy into legislative action.
Among the Chamber’s immediate priorities is the potential reversal of an Internal Revenue Service rule that would have classified decentralized finance (DeFi) projects as brokerages, requiring them to track users for tax purposes.
Congress has invoked the Congressional Review Act to challenge the regulation, and with bipartisan support, the measure has cleared both chambers. The rule now awaits a procedural vote in the Senate before reaching President Trump’s desk.
Boring’s Legacy and the Chamber’s Influence
Boring founded the Digital Chamber to promote a pro-growth policy environment for blockchain technology. Under her leadership, the organization has played a major role in crypto lobbying, working with policymakers and regulatory agencies.
“We’re no longer in a defensive stance, where we have a government that’s essentially trying to shut down the industry,”
Boring said. She emphasized the Chamber’s evolving role in helping shape regulatory frameworks rather than merely opposing restrictive policies.
The organization remains one of the most influential crypto advocacy groups in Washington, though the Blockchain Association has surpassed its budget in recent years.
The Chamber competes with other advocacy groups, including the Crypto Council for Innovation, Coin Center, and the DeFi Education Fund. Ripple Labs recently launched its own lobbying entity, the National Cryptocurrency Association, backed by a $50 million grant.
Boring has not announced any immediate plans outside the Chamber.
“My next step is really kind of exploring additional passions that I have in the crypto space,”
She said.