SPI Launches "Protect the Builders" Campaign

Solana Policy Institute today launched a targeted advocacy campaign in Politico calling on Congress to protect the software developers building America's next generation of financial infrastructure. The campaign highlights a stark reality:

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Our campaign, "Protect the Builders of Our Financial Future," delivers a clear message to policymakers crafting digital asset legislation. The stakes couldn't be higher. America's share of global open-source developers has dropped by more than 50 percent from 2015 to 2025—a devastating decline that weakens our competitive edge precisely when other nations are aggressively competing for tech talent.

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This isn't just about statistics. It's about the fundamental question of whether America will remain the world's "crypto capital" or cede that leadership to countries offering clearer regulatory frameworks for builders.

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The Developer Exodus is Real

The numbers tell a troubling story. While the global blockchain development community has exploded over the past decade, America's share of that talent pool has been cut in half. These aren't abstract figures, they represent the engineers, entrepreneurs, and innovators who could be building the transparent, consumer-empowering financial systems of tomorrow right here in the United States.

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The recent cases of Roman Storm and Alexey Pertsev, developers we've supported in their legal defense funds, illustrate why talented builders are looking elsewhere. If the government can prosecute developers for creating neutral tools that others misuse, it fundamentally changes developers’ risk calculus. Why would programmers build groundbreaking software if they might face criminal charges? And why would investors fund startups if founders could be jailed for unforeseen applications?

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Congress Must Act

Our Politico campaign targets the lawmakers who will determine whether America doubles down on innovation or surrenders our technological leadership. The message is simple but urgent: protect the builders and service providers who create and power decentralized networks.

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The competition for blockchain talent isn't slowing down. Countries worldwide are crafting regulatory frameworks specifically designed to attract the developers, entrepreneurs, and capital that will build tomorrow's financial infrastructure. If America wants to remain the crypto capital of the world, we need policies that match our rhetoric about innovation leadership.

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The future of American financial innovation depends on protecting those building it today. At SPI, we’re doing the work to ensure they understand the consequences of getting it wrong.

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Solana Policy Institute advocates for policies that enable decentralized networks to flourish while providing legal certainty for builders and users.