The Blockchain Association announced on September 25, 2026, that CEO Summer Mersinger will officially step down on October 16, 2026, and remain as a strategic advisor through the end of the year. Kristin Smith, former chief executive of the organization and current president of the Solana Policy Institute, will take over as interim CEO beginning October 17, 2026.
Smith previously led the Blockchain Association during its founding and expansion era in Washington. According to Emily Wilson, communications director at the Solana Policy Institute, Smith will retain her executive duties there while steering the trade body through its transition phase.
Mersinger was sworn in as a commissioner on the Commodity Futures Trading Commission in March 2022 after being nominated by former President Joe Biden to fill a Republican seat. During her tenure as CEO, the US Congress enacted a landmark stablecoin bill in July 2025, and the Clarity Act advanced through the House of Representatives in 2025. However, the Clarity Act remains stalled in the Senate, and policy observers view final enactment as unlikely before the current 2026 legislative term ends.
In departure remarks, Mersinger expressed gratitude for the support of member firms and staff, saying the association is left under the care of the leader who originally built it. Smith praised the expertise Mersinger brought to Washington policy discussions and emphasized the team’s ability to maintain institutional advocacy across the crypto ecosystem.
