tl;dr
Several politically connected crypto companies and lobbying groups have formed the American Innovation Project (AIP), a tax-exempt nonprofit focused on promoting informed dialogue about decentralized technology in Washington, D.C. Key participants include DCG, Coinbase, Kraken, Paradigm, Andreessen ...
Several politically connected crypto companies and lobbying groups have joined forces to create the American Innovation Project (AIP), a new tax-exempt nonprofit organization aimed at promoting informed dialogue around decentralized technology in Washington, D.C. Key industry players involved include DCG, Coinbase, Kraken, Paradigm, Andreessen Horowitz, the Solana Policy Institute, Uniswap Labs, and the Cedar Innovation Foundation.
The AIP, registered as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, intends to engage directly with lawmakers and their staff to provide clear, actionable insights on topics such as cryptocurrency and decentralized AI networks. Julie Stitzel, senior vice president of policy at DCG, emphasized that the group's mission is purely educational and nonpartisan, complementing other crypto advocacy efforts without pushing a political agenda.
This nonprofit status, similar to that of churches and schools, allows the AIP to avoid taxes and protect its members from personal legal liability. However, it also imposes legal limitations, requiring the organization not to engage substantially in political lobbying or benefit private interests.
The board of directors features prominent crypto lobbyists, including Kristin Smith of the Solana Policy Institute, Allie Page of the Blockchain Association, and Nick Carr from Coinbase. The group launched with a strategic presence at an exclusive crypto policy summit in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, hosted by SALT and Kraken, where influential figures such as Eric Trump, Senators Tim Scott and Cynthia Lummis, SEC chair Paul Atkins, and Federal Reserve official Michelle Bowman were in attendance.
The AIP’s first educational event is scheduled as an off-the-record meeting in Jackson Hole, capitalizing on the momentum of the policy summit to foster bipartisan understanding of decentralized technologies among policymakers and stakeholders.