Key facts
- Summer Mersinger will step down as CEO of the Blockchain Association on October 16.
- Kristin Smith will return as interim CEO of the Blockchain Association.
- Mersinger joined the Blockchain Association in June 2025 after leaving the CFTC.
- The Digital Asset Market Clarity Act failed to pass a cloture motion in the Senate.
- Mersinger cited a desire for clear rules and a unified voice for the industry in Washington.
Summer Mersinger, who previously served as a commissioner at the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), will step down as CEO of the Blockchain Association at the end of the year. Her departure comes after a significant legislative setback for the organization, with the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act failing to secure enough votes in the Senate earlier this month. Mersinger joined the Blockchain Association in June 2025, aiming to provide a unified voice for the crypto industry in Washington and advocate for regulatory clarity. She expressed a belief that the industry deserved clear rules of the road. Kristin Smith, the organization's former chief executive, is set to return as interim CEO on October 16. The Blockchain Association has not yet commented on Mersinger's future plans beyond 2027.