This week, I stepped into my role as Blockchain Association CEO at what may be the most consequential moment in crypto’s policymaking history. After years of regulatory uncertainty and punishing enforcement, we have a generational opportunity to establish clear, innovation-friendly rules that will govern digital assets for the next decade and beyond.

The convergence of factors creating this window is unusual. We have a pro-crypto administration, bipartisan momentum in Congress around comprehensive stablecoin and market structure legislation, and recent court victories – like the end of the dealer rule – that validate positions this industry has held for years. Institutional adoption continues to grow, creating urgent demand for regulatory clarity from legacy financial institutions.

But windows of opportunity in Washington close as quickly as they open. And whether we seize this moment or watch it slip away will depend largely on the crypto ecosystem’s ability to speak with one clear voice.

Read more: CFTC Commissioner Mersinger to Be CEO at Blockchain Association

I’ve spent more than three years as a CFTC Commissioner watching how policy actually gets implemented at the agency level. When regulators see a fractured industry advancing competing agendas, they default to restrictive approaches that satisfy no one. But when they encounter sophisticated, unified positions on complex issues, I’ve found that those same regulators engage constructively. The difference between these outcomes isn’t just academic, it shapes markets, determines which innovations survive, and decides where global leadership in emerging technologies ultimately resides.

This dynamic explains why Blockchain Association exists and why our work has never been more critical. Consider what we’ve accomplished when we’ve acted in concert. Our consensus market structure principles, developed through extensive member collaboration, provide a blueprint for legislation that protects innovation while ensuring consumer protection. And our unified opposition to overreaching regulatory proposals, as with the dealer and broker rulemaking sagas, has helped courts recognize when agencies exceeded their authority.

These successes didn’t happen by accident. They emerged from our willingness to prioritize collective progress over individual positioning and to recognize that the regulatory challenges facing this industry are bigger than any single company or protocol.

Now we face our biggest test yet. As policy momentum builds and stakes rise, the temptation to fragment will intensify. Organizations will be tempted to pursue narrow advantages. Well-meaning advocates will push maximalist positions that sound appealing but lack the pragmatic grounding necessary to become law.

We cannot afford that luxury. The crypto industry’s opponents are counting on us to splinter as we approach the finish line. They know that a divided industry might lose focus, might dissolve into endless debate. And they think they’ve seen this movie before where we get close to policy success before it all collapses in a smouldering heap.

That’s precisely why my experience as a regulator matters for this role. I’ve seen how agencies respond to clear and constructive industry engagement. I understand the difference between positions that sound good in conference presentations and those that can actually survive the legislative process. Most importantly, I know that the relationships and credibility required to achieve lasting policy victories are built through consistency, reliability, and demonstrated commitment to the public interest.

The opportunity we have right now requires us to be ambitious about our goals and disciplined about our approach. We need comprehensive legislation that provides regulatory clarity for digital assets; this has been obvious for years. We need agencies that understand the technology they’re regulating, and encourage those regulators when they show progress. We need international coordination that ensures American innovation isn’t handicapped by jurisdictional arbitrage. And we need to maintain the consumer protections and financial stability safeguards that make sustainable growth possible.

These aren’t competing priorities. They’re complementary elements of a coherent vision for American leadership in digital assets.

As I take on this responsibility, I’m committed to ensuring that Blockchain Association recommits to its founding purpose. That means hosting the difficult conversations required to build genuine consensus. It means elevating our shared priorities over our individual preferences. And it means approaching our work with the seriousness and sophistication that this moment demands.

The crypto industry has graduated from its startup phase. We’re no longer asking for permission to exist, we’re negotiating the terms of regulation that will allow this technology to further supercharge its growth. That evolution requires not just technological maturity, but political maturity as well. The next 18 months will test whether we’ve developed that maturity. The stakes couldn’t be higher, but neither could the opportunity.

Let’s seize it – together.