Jerry Brito, the founding executive director of the prominent crypto advocacy organization Coin Center, has announced his decision to step down from his role by the end of the year, according to a report by Jesse Hamilton for CoinDesk. He revealed his plans in a post on the Coin Center website, stating that while he will no longer serve as executive director, he will continue to remain involved as a member of the board.
Joining Brito in stepping down is Robin Weisman, Coin Center’s senior policy counsel, who will also shift to a board seat. Both have been central figures in Coin Center since its early days in 2014. Though often referred to as a “think tank,” the organization has played a critical role in advocating for cryptocurrency policies in Washington. There is no information yet regarding Brito’s or Weisman’s next career moves.
Taking over leadership at Coin Center will be Peter Van Valkenburgh, currently the research director, who will now become the executive director. Landon Zinda, a policy expert, will step into Van Valkenburgh’s previous position. Brito expressed confidence in Van Valkenburgh, emphasizing his deep understanding of Coin Center’s mission and his expertise in both crypto and constitutional law.
Brito reflected on Coin Center’s mission over the years, noting the group’s early goal was to give Bitcoin the necessary time to grow and establish itself. However, he acknowledged that the broader fight for cryptocurrency’s future is far from over.
He wrote:
“I’ll leave my role at Coin Center very proud of what we’ve accomplished over the last ten years. When we started in 2014, it was not clear that governments would allow Bitcoin to flourish. Bitcoin and crypto are technically unstoppable, yes, but in the short term there was a lot of harm that could have been done and that many tried to do. Our goal at the outset was to secure time for Bitcoin to reach ‘escape velocity,’ and on that score, I think we succeeded.
“The struggle is not over yet, though. We must remain vigilant and continue to fight for our rights to make and use crypto software, and to do so privately. So I’m glad there’s a strong and venerable institution, soon with new energetic leadership, purpose-built and perfectly matched for that challenge. I can’t wait to see what the next ten years bring.“
The CoinDesk report also mentioned that Coin Center remains engaged in a legal battle with the IRS over crypto tax reporting requirements introduced by the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act of 2021. The organization argues that the law’s demand for the personal information of crypto users is unconstitutional and excessive. The case was initially dismissed but was given a second chance by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit last month.
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