Blockchain Association Taps Former CEO Kristin Smith for Interim Role

Blockchain Association CEO Summer Mersinger is stepping down on October 16. She will stay on as an advisor until the end of the year, but Kristin Smith will take over as interim CEO on October 17.

Mersinger led the Blockchain Association during a pivotal period for crypto policy in Washington, including the passage of stablecoin legislation signed into law in July 2025. The association also pushed for broader crypto legislation, including the Clarity Act, which passed the House last year but has stalled in the Senate.

Mersinger took on the role as CEO after leaving her position as a commissioner at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, where she was nominated by former President Joe Biden. Smith praised Mersinger's leadership and said, 'Summer brought the credibility of a former regulator and experience on Capitol Hill, and she put every bit of it to work for this industry.'