Miller Whitehouse-Levine, a longtime decentralized finance advocate and former head of the DeFi Education Fund, has launched the Solana Policy Institute (SPI)—a non-partisan organization focused on expanding crypto education and engagement in Washington, D.C. The initiative officially debuted on Monday, as lawmakers advance legislation on stablecoins, market structure, and digital asset regulation more broadly.
The SPI’s stated mission is to promote a more nuanced understanding of blockchain technologies within U.S. policymaking circles, particularly focusing on networks beyond Bitcoin.
“Right now, people hear crypto and by and large think of Bitcoin and that’s it,” said Whitehouse-Levine in an interview.
“But of course, the ecosystem has exploded well beyond Bitcoin, and there’s applications for all sorts of things being built on these decentralized networks.”
The organization will offer research, policy engagement, and technical briefings to help shape the narrative around next-generation Web3 infrastructure. It also intends to work directly with federal regulators, including the SEC’s Crypto Task Force and the incoming leadership at the CFTC, as both agencies face increased pressure under President Donald Trump’s administration to provide clear and balanced crypto oversight.
Whitehouse-Levine emphasized his alignment with Solana’s developer community and the network’s technical architecture.
“I am excited about Solana because I’ve spent the last eight years of my career fighting for developer rights and people’s ability to use these decentralized network applications,” he said.
SPI to Influence Stablecoin and Market Structure Legislation
The Solana Policy Institute is positioning itself to play a central role in shaping upcoming regulatory conversations around stablecoin rules and digital asset market structure. SPI aims to ensure that emerging decentralized protocols—such as Solana—are not disadvantaged by one-size-fits-all regulations or policies that favor older, more established networks.
“The focus is on creating a level playing field, not policy that favors one protocol over another,” Whitehouse-Levine explained.
The launch of SPI comes at a pivotal moment. On Wednesday, the House Financial Services Committee is set to vote on amendments to a draft bill governing stablecoins, while the Senate advances its own legislative version. President Trump has signaled his desire to see a finalized stablecoin framework reach the White House by August.
In parallel, lawmakers are working on broader market structure legislation, though congressional aides note that effort may take longer due to the technical and jurisdictional complexities involved.
SPI is expected to maintain a particular emphasis on Solana’s ecosystem, which has seen explosive growth through consumer-facing decentralized applications, including the high-volume memecoin platform Pump.fun and other high-throughput tools built atop Solana’s infrastructure.
Crypto Industry Steps Up Policy Engagement with Capitol Hill
The launch of the Solana Policy Institute comes amid a notable surge in lobbying activity from the broader crypto industry. Digital asset firms have increased political contributions in recent months, channeling millions of dollars into political action committees, inaugural funds, and other vehicles designed to support pro-crypto candidates and influence regulatory outcomes.
This growing political investment underscores a strategic shift among crypto advocates—from public relations to direct policy engagement—as the industry seeks to shape the long-term regulatory framework that will govern digital assets in the U.S.
Quick Facts
- Miller Whitehouse-Levine, former head of the DeFi Education Fund, launched the Solana Policy Institute (SPI) in Washington, D.C.
- The non-partisan initiative aims to educate lawmakers on decentralized networks beyond Bitcoin and advocate for technology-neutral regulation.
- SPI will engage with key regulatory bodies including the SEC’s Crypto Task Force and the incoming leadership at the CFTC.
- The institute will focus on the Solana ecosystem, supporting policy development on stablecoins and digital asset market structure.
