State Department Embeds Bitcoin into Foreign Policy through Freedom Tech Program

The US State Department has launched a program that embeds Bitcoin and privacy tools into its formal foreign policy through the Freedom Tech Excellence Program (FTEP). This public-private partnership treats these technologies as instruments of foreign policy, aiming to promote digital freedom abroad.

Four organizations are founding partners: the Bitcoin Policy Institute, Palantir Technologies, Anduril Industries, and the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation. These organizations bring a mix of expertise in surveillance technology, human rights, and Bitcoin policy.

The program works through limited-term assignments, placing private sector personnel inside the State Department to shape diplomatic efforts around specific digital freedom issues: online freedom of expression, counter-surveillance measures, and responsible AI governance.