Keynote: Senator Cynthia Lummis
Speakers/Moderators

Cynthia Lummis

Cynthia Lummis
As the first-ever Chair of the Senate Banking Subcommittee on Digital Assets, Senator Lummis is the architect of the legislative framework shaping America's digital asset future. She introduced the landmark Lummis-Gillibrand Responsible Financial Innovation Act, the first comprehensive bipartisan crypto regulatory framework in Senate history. She co-authored the GENIUS Act — the first federal stablecoin law ever enacted — and introduced the BITCOIN Act, which would establish a U.S. strategic Bitcoin reserve of up to one million BTC. She is leading the Clarity Act, which will bring long-overdue regulatory certainty to the digital asset industry. She has also championed digital asset tax reform, including a de minimis exemption for small transactions and equal tax treatment for miners and stakers.
Known as Congress' "Crypto Queen," Senator Lummis represents Wyoming — a state she has helped build into one of the most digital asset-friendly regulatory environments in the nation. Before serving in the Senate, she served 14 years in the Wyoming Legislature, eight years as Wyoming State Treasurer, and eight years in the U.S. House. She is a three-time graduate of the University of Wyoming.
Her work represents a crucial bridge between traditional financial systems and the emerging digital economy, ensuring America leads the world in financial innovation while protecting the individual freedoms that define it.
Session
Overview
Senator Cynthia Lummis delivered a keynote focused on her personal path to Bitcoin and the role she believes it can play in financial independence. She described being locked out of family bank accounts after her husband’s sudden death, an experience that led her to look for an asset she could access without relying on a trusted third party.
Lummis connected that story to Bitcoin’s core themes of self custody, scarcity, portability, and individual sovereignty. She framed Bitcoin as “freedom money” and argued that the United States should be the global home for Bitcoin because of its alignment with American ideals of liberty and equality.
The keynote also addressed policy work in Washington, including earlier debates over the definition of a broker and the planned markup of the Clarity Act in May. Lummis emphasized the need for market structure legislation that allows Bitcoin and digital asset innovation to continue in the United States.
Well, for my last time as United States Senator from Wyoming on this stage, welcome, Bitcoin 2026. It's such a privilege for me to be here and to be part of your journey these last years.
I want to take you on that journey for a few minutes as my part of this program this morning. I am a rancher and a lawyer from Wyoming, not necessarily an expert at anything that has to do with computers. You can ask my staff about that for verification. I went on this journey through a very unlikely event in my life. I'll tell you that because we all have to elevate substance over form, and that's what Bitcoin does. So that's what I'm going to talk about this morning.
When I was running for my fourth and last term in the U.S. House, I was out campaigning in Wyoming. My husband was transferring our bank accounts to a new bank that had bought the accounts from the old bank. In the middle of that process, when his name was on the accounts and we transferred to the new bank, he died in the middle of the night of a massive heart attack as a very young man.
I was off campaigning in another part of Wyoming, so I was dealing with the absolute sudden shock of losing your spouse completely unexpectedly. I went back to Cheyenne, met my daughter there, and we planned a funeral while we were still going through the shock of this happening. Then I began to get bills from his contractors and subcontractors. He was a lawyer, but he never met an old building that he didn't want to fix up.
His passion projects were to buy old buildings, take them through the National Trust for Historic Preservation process, and return them to their former glory. That's expensive, and I was starting to get bills. I didn't have access to our bank account because during those very short two days while he was transferring our money and I was away, my name was no longer on our accounts.
Furthermore, I could not find his will. His will was not where it typically had been, and I knew I was the executor of his estate. Fortunately, I had an account in my own name under a different bank, so I began paying his contractors and subcontractors until I ran out of money. I didn't have the money to pay his funeral expenses. I didn't have money to live on. I was still madly looking for his will.
This is a situation where the bank knew exactly what was happening. They had the signature card there with an X on it for me to sign the minute I walked in, but because he died and his name was the only one on the account during that event, I was locked out of our money.
When we finally got through that, I began to think: isn't there something out there where I can safeguard my assets and access them any time I need without having to rely on a trusted third party? That was when my daughter's boyfriend, now my son-in-law, talked to me about Bitcoin. It sounded a little strange to me that you could own an asset that lived on a blockchain, but I took a chance and I purchased three Bitcoin for $300 each in 2013 and 2014.
I think I still own them. I had to put all my assets, when I arrived in the U.S. Senate, in a blind trust, but I'm hoping they're still there when I leave the Senate at the end of this year. Then I went to the Satoshi Conference, and I was asked to speak about how the Senate works. I got exposure to this unique and fabulous asset that made me want to learn more.
When I arrived in the U.S. Senate, I was the only person who knew anything about Bitcoin, and that sent me on this incredible journey. The first thing was the IRS advised the Senate on the definition of broker, literally saying, if you write software or you create hardware to mine Bitcoin, you must be a broker. It was absurd, ridiculous, and it needed some expertise.
So we called on this industry, and you responded in droves. It finally let senators know that there are a group of people out here who understand these assets and know that Bitcoin is unique in our country as an asset that truly is freedom money. You don't need a trusted third party. You know it's going to go up in value initially, even though it fluctuates over time, because there are only 21 million that will ever be mined.
The value proposition is built right into the formula. You can take it anywhere. You can transfer it on your phone. You can transfer it cheaply and safely, and it is in your individual wallet. Or if you don't trust yourself to self-custody in an individual wallet, you can custody it through the hundreds of people who now can be trusted to keep your money, your Bitcoin, for you, and that you can access any time.
There were people during wars who have been able to transmit money via Bitcoin to their friends and to their favorite charities in countries that are war-torn. There are women who have been able to leave a dysfunctional marriage and walk out with an asset that is uniquely theirs. This is a country that is a freedom country, and to have an asset like that is unprecedented.
This should be the home of Bitcoin. This should be the global capital for this asset. More important, Bitcoin comes with not only an asset but a culture. A culture that could have written the United States Declaration of Independence that we celebrate 250 years hence. It's because this is freedom money, that all people are created equal, and that this asset guarantees it.
So I want to thank you all for taking me on this journey with you. I want to thank you for the tremendous opportunity to craft legislation in Washington. We are going to mark up the Clarity Act in May. We are going to get it to the finish line. We are going to have the market structure that allows you to innovate and America to lead the world on this freedom asset.
God bless you. Thank you very much for the privilege of serving you in Washington, DC.
Similar
Sessions
Keynote: Senator Cynthia Lummis

Cynthia Lummis

Cynthia Lummis
As the first-ever Chair of the Senate Banking Subcommittee on Digital Assets, Senator Lummis is the architect of the legislative framework shaping America's digital asset future. She introduced the landmark Lummis-Gillibrand Responsible Financial Innovation Act, the first comprehensive bipartisan crypto regulatory framework in Senate history. She co-authored the GENIUS Act — the first federal stablecoin law ever enacted — and introduced the BITCOIN Act, which would establish a U.S. strategic Bitcoin reserve of up to one million BTC. She is leading the Clarity Act, which will bring long-overdue regulatory certainty to the digital asset industry. She has also championed digital asset tax reform, including a de minimis exemption for small transactions and equal tax treatment for miners and stakers.
Known as Congress' "Crypto Queen," Senator Lummis represents Wyoming — a state she has helped build into one of the most digital asset-friendly regulatory environments in the nation. Before serving in the Senate, she served 14 years in the Wyoming Legislature, eight years as Wyoming State Treasurer, and eight years in the U.S. House. She is a three-time graduate of the University of Wyoming.
Her work represents a crucial bridge between traditional financial systems and the emerging digital economy, ensuring America leads the world in financial innovation while protecting the individual freedoms that define it.
Keynote: Senator Cynthia Lummis
Speakers/Moderators

Cynthia Lummis

Cynthia Lummis
As the first-ever Chair of the Senate Banking Subcommittee on Digital Assets, Senator Lummis is the architect of the legislative framework shaping America's digital asset future. She introduced the landmark Lummis-Gillibrand Responsible Financial Innovation Act, the first comprehensive bipartisan crypto regulatory framework in Senate history. She co-authored the GENIUS Act — the first federal stablecoin law ever enacted — and introduced the BITCOIN Act, which would establish a U.S. strategic Bitcoin reserve of up to one million BTC. She is leading the Clarity Act, which will bring long-overdue regulatory certainty to the digital asset industry. She has also championed digital asset tax reform, including a de minimis exemption for small transactions and equal tax treatment for miners and stakers.
Known as Congress' "Crypto Queen," Senator Lummis represents Wyoming — a state she has helped build into one of the most digital asset-friendly regulatory environments in the nation. Before serving in the Senate, she served 14 years in the Wyoming Legislature, eight years as Wyoming State Treasurer, and eight years in the U.S. House. She is a three-time graduate of the University of Wyoming.
Her work represents a crucial bridge between traditional financial systems and the emerging digital economy, ensuring America leads the world in financial innovation while protecting the individual freedoms that define it.
Are We Getting More Clarity?

Miles Jennings

Miles Jennings

Cynthia Lummis

Cynthia Lummis
As the first-ever Chair of the Senate Banking Subcommittee on Digital Assets, Senator Lummis is the architect of the legislative framework shaping America's digital asset future. She introduced the landmark Lummis-Gillibrand Responsible Financial Innovation Act, the first comprehensive bipartisan crypto regulatory framework in Senate history. She co-authored the GENIUS Act — the first federal stablecoin law ever enacted — and introduced the BITCOIN Act, which would establish a U.S. strategic Bitcoin reserve of up to one million BTC. She is leading the Clarity Act, which will bring long-overdue regulatory certainty to the digital asset industry. She has also championed digital asset tax reform, including a de minimis exemption for small transactions and equal tax treatment for miners and stakers.
Known as Congress' "Crypto Queen," Senator Lummis represents Wyoming — a state she has helped build into one of the most digital asset-friendly regulatory environments in the nation. Before serving in the Senate, she served 14 years in the Wyoming Legislature, eight years as Wyoming State Treasurer, and eight years in the U.S. House. She is a three-time graduate of the University of Wyoming.
Her work represents a crucial bridge between traditional financial systems and the emerging digital economy, ensuring America leads the world in financial innovation while protecting the individual freedoms that define it.

Bernie Moreno

Bernie Moreno
Bernie believes that Ohioans deserve better than what they’ve gotten from Washington, and he will fight to better their lives in the United States Senate.

Patrick Witt

Patrick Witt
From January until May 2025, Mr. Witt performed the duties of the Deputy Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering, overseeing the defense science and technology enterprise, including DARPA, to drive technological innovation and digital transformation across the DoW.
During President Trump's first administration, Mr. Witt served as Deputy Chief of Staff of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, where he helped lead workforce management for millions of federal employees, retirees, and their dependents. After leaving government service, he served as Managing Director for a lower-middle-market private equity firm. Earlier in his career, Mr. Witt worked for McKinsey & Company, where he advised aviation, aerospace, and defense clients across four continents on a wide range of issues.
A graduate of Yale University and Harvard Law School, Mr. Witt received numerous academic accolades, including the Francis Gordon Brown Prize, a distinction shared by former President George H.W. Bush, and was also a finalist for the Campbell Trophy, Rhodes, and Mitchell Scholarships. In addition to his academic achievements, he excelled as a student-athlete, shattering numerous school records. At the conclusion of his collegiate career, Mr. Witt was invited to participate in the NFL Combine and later signed as a free agent with the New Orleans Saints.
Mr. Witt is a proud uncle to Joan, Kirby, Grace, and Charlie. He is a native of Atlanta, Georgia, a member of the State Bar, and a JAG in the Georgia Army National Guard. He is fluent in French.

Sam Kazemian

Sam Kazemian
He has since founded multiple companies and raised over $40 million in venture capital, building infrastructure aligned with the core principles of decentralization, transparency, and censorship resistance. At Frax Finance, he leads the development of a growing suite of decentralized financial products, spanning stable assets, liquidity systems, and on-chain monetary infrastructure.
Kazemian is a regular speaker at global conferences, where he discusses trends across the crypto ecosystem, from DeFi and stablecoins to the next generation of on-chain financial markets.
Are We Getting More Clarity?
Speakers/Moderators

Miles Jennings

Miles Jennings

Cynthia Lummis

Cynthia Lummis
As the first-ever Chair of the Senate Banking Subcommittee on Digital Assets, Senator Lummis is the architect of the legislative framework shaping America's digital asset future. She introduced the landmark Lummis-Gillibrand Responsible Financial Innovation Act, the first comprehensive bipartisan crypto regulatory framework in Senate history. She co-authored the GENIUS Act — the first federal stablecoin law ever enacted — and introduced the BITCOIN Act, which would establish a U.S. strategic Bitcoin reserve of up to one million BTC. She is leading the Clarity Act, which will bring long-overdue regulatory certainty to the digital asset industry. She has also championed digital asset tax reform, including a de minimis exemption for small transactions and equal tax treatment for miners and stakers.
Known as Congress' "Crypto Queen," Senator Lummis represents Wyoming — a state she has helped build into one of the most digital asset-friendly regulatory environments in the nation. Before serving in the Senate, she served 14 years in the Wyoming Legislature, eight years as Wyoming State Treasurer, and eight years in the U.S. House. She is a three-time graduate of the University of Wyoming.
Her work represents a crucial bridge between traditional financial systems and the emerging digital economy, ensuring America leads the world in financial innovation while protecting the individual freedoms that define it.

Bernie Moreno

Bernie Moreno
Bernie believes that Ohioans deserve better than what they’ve gotten from Washington, and he will fight to better their lives in the United States Senate.

Patrick Witt

Patrick Witt
From January until May 2025, Mr. Witt performed the duties of the Deputy Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering, overseeing the defense science and technology enterprise, including DARPA, to drive technological innovation and digital transformation across the DoW.
During President Trump's first administration, Mr. Witt served as Deputy Chief of Staff of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, where he helped lead workforce management for millions of federal employees, retirees, and their dependents. After leaving government service, he served as Managing Director for a lower-middle-market private equity firm. Earlier in his career, Mr. Witt worked for McKinsey & Company, where he advised aviation, aerospace, and defense clients across four continents on a wide range of issues.
A graduate of Yale University and Harvard Law School, Mr. Witt received numerous academic accolades, including the Francis Gordon Brown Prize, a distinction shared by former President George H.W. Bush, and was also a finalist for the Campbell Trophy, Rhodes, and Mitchell Scholarships. In addition to his academic achievements, he excelled as a student-athlete, shattering numerous school records. At the conclusion of his collegiate career, Mr. Witt was invited to participate in the NFL Combine and later signed as a free agent with the New Orleans Saints.
Mr. Witt is a proud uncle to Joan, Kirby, Grace, and Charlie. He is a native of Atlanta, Georgia, a member of the State Bar, and a JAG in the Georgia Army National Guard. He is fluent in French.

Sam Kazemian

Sam Kazemian
He has since founded multiple companies and raised over $40 million in venture capital, building infrastructure aligned with the core principles of decentralization, transparency, and censorship resistance. At Frax Finance, he leads the development of a growing suite of decentralized financial products, spanning stable assets, liquidity systems, and on-chain monetary infrastructure.
Kazemian is a regular speaker at global conferences, where he discusses trends across the crypto ecosystem, from DeFi and stablecoins to the next generation of on-chain financial markets.
Other
Speakers

Michael Saylor

Michael Saylor

Todd Blanche

Todd Blanche
Biography of Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche
The Honorable Todd Blanche is the 40th Deputy Attorney General of the United States, overseeing the work of the 115,000 dedicated employees who fulfill the Department of Justice’s mission at Main Justice, the FBI, DEA, U.S. Marshals, ATF, and 93 U.S. Attorney’s Offices.
Todd began his career at the Department where he served for over fifteen years in a variety of capacities, including as a contractor, a paralegal in the Criminal Division, and at the United States Attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York where he eventually became an AUSA and later a supervisor.
After leaving the Department, Todd worked as a criminal defense attorney that included representing President Donald Trump in three of the criminal cases brought against him in 2023 and 2024.
Following President Trump’s historic return to the White House, the President appointed Todd to work alongside Attorney General Pam Bondi to make America safe again. At the DOJ, Todd is working tirelessly to implement President Trump’s priorities that include confronting illegal protecting American businesses from fraud.
Todd has been married to his wonderful wife Kristine for nearly thirty years, is a father and grandfather.

Paul Atkins

Paul Atkins
Prior to returning to the SEC, Chairman Atkins was most recently chief executive of Patomak Global Partners, a company he founded in 2009. Chairman Atkins helped lead efforts to develop best practices for the digital asset sector. He served as an independent director and non-executive chairman of the board of BATS Global Markets, Inc. from 2012 to 2015.
Chairman Atkins was appointed by President George W. Bush to serve as a Commissioner of the SEC from 2002 to 2008. During his tenure, he advocated for transparency, consistency, and the use of cost-benefit analysis at the agency. Chairman Atkins also represented the SEC at meetings of the President’s Working Group on Financial Markets and the U.S.-EU Transatlantic Economic Council. From 2009 to 2010, he was appointed a member of the Congressional Oversight Panel for the Troubled Asset Relief Program.
Before serving as an SEC Commissioner, Chairman Atkins was a consultant on securities and investment management industry matters, especially regarding issues of strategy, regulatory compliance, risk management, new product development, and organizational control.
From 1990 to 1994, Chairman Atkins served on the staff of two chairmen of the SEC, Richard C. Breeden and Arthur Levitt, ultimately as chief of staff and counselor, respectively. He received the SEC’s 1992 Law and Policy Award for work regarding corporate governance matters.
Chairman Atkins began his career as a lawyer in New York, focusing on a wide range of corporate transactions for U.S. and foreign clients, including public and private securities offerings and mergers and acquisitions. He was resident for 2½ years in his firm's Paris office and admitted as conseil juridique in France.
A member of the New York and Florida bars, Chairman Atkins received his J.D. from Vanderbilt University School of Law in 1983 and was Senior Student Writing Editor of the Vanderbilt Law Review. He received his A.B., Phi Beta Kappa, from Wofford College in 1980.
Originally from Lillington, North Carolina, Chairman Atkins grew up in Tampa, Florida. He and his wife Sarah have three sons.

Mike Selig

Mike Selig
Chairman Selig brings to the role deep public and private sector experience working with a wide range of stakeholders across agriculture, energy, financial, and digital asset industries, which rely upon and operate in CFTC-regulated markets.
Prior to his leadership at the CFTC, Chairman Selig most recently served as chief counsel of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Crypto Task Force and senior advisor to SEC Chairman Paul S. Atkins. In this role, Chairman Selig helped to develop a clear regulatory framework for digital asset securities markets, harmonize the SEC and CFTC regulatory regimes, modernize the agency’s rules to reflect new and emerging technologies, and put an end to regulation by enforcement. He also participated in the President’s Working Group on Digital Asset Markets and contributed to its report on “Strengthening American Leadership in Digital Financial Technology.”
Prior to government service, Chairman Selig was a partner at an international law firm, focusing on derivatives and securities regulatory matters. During his years in private practice, he represented a broad range of clients subject to regulation by the CFTC, including commercial end users, futures commission merchants, commodity trading advisors, swap dealers, designated contract markets, derivatives clearing organizations, and digital asset firms. Chairman Selig advised clients on compliance with the Commodity Exchange Act and the CFTC’s rules and regulations thereunder, including in connection with registration applications and obligations, enforcement matters, and complex transactions.
Chairman Selig earned his law degree from The George Washington University Law School and was articles editor of The George Washington Law Review. He received his undergraduate degree from Florida State University.

David Bailey

David Bailey

Eric Trump

Eric Trump
Mr. Trump also serves as Executive Vice President of The Trump Organization, where he oversees the global management and operations of the Trump family’s extensive real estate portfolio. This includes Trump Hotels, Trump Golf, commercial and residential real estate, Trump Estates, and Trump Winery. Known for his hands-on leadership and strong market instincts, he has played a key role in expanding the company’s presence across major U.S. and international markets.
A globally recognized business leader and public figure, Mr. Trump is a prominent advocate for Bitcoin and decentralized finance. He is a co-founder of World Liberty Financial, a decentralized finance (DeFi) platform, and serves on the Board of Advisors of Metaplanet, Japan’s largest corporate holder of Bitcoin.
Beyond his business activities, Mr. Trump has helped raise more than $50 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in the fight against pediatric cancer, a philanthropic mission he began at age 21.
Mr. Trump earned a degree in Finance and Management from Georgetown University. He currently resides in Florida with his wife, Lara, and their two children. He is also the author of Under Siege, his memoir published in October 2025.

Jack Mallers

Jack Mallers

Cynthia Lummis

Cynthia Lummis
As the first-ever Chair of the Senate Banking Subcommittee on Digital Assets, Senator Lummis is the architect of the legislative framework shaping America's digital asset future. She introduced the landmark Lummis-Gillibrand Responsible Financial Innovation Act, the first comprehensive bipartisan crypto regulatory framework in Senate history. She co-authored the GENIUS Act — the first federal stablecoin law ever enacted — and introduced the BITCOIN Act, which would establish a U.S. strategic Bitcoin reserve of up to one million BTC. She is leading the Clarity Act, which will bring long-overdue regulatory certainty to the digital asset industry. She has also championed digital asset tax reform, including a de minimis exemption for small transactions and equal tax treatment for miners and stakers.
Known as Congress' "Crypto Queen," Senator Lummis represents Wyoming — a state she has helped build into one of the most digital asset-friendly regulatory environments in the nation. Before serving in the Senate, she served 14 years in the Wyoming Legislature, eight years as Wyoming State Treasurer, and eight years in the U.S. House. She is a three-time graduate of the University of Wyoming.
Her work represents a crucial bridge between traditional financial systems and the emerging digital economy, ensuring America leads the world in financial innovation while protecting the individual freedoms that define it.

Adam Back

Adam Back

Amy Oldenburg

Amy Oldenburg

David Marcus

David Marcus

Matt Schultz

Matt Schultz

Fred Thiel

Fred Thiel
Throughout his career, Mr. Thiel has consistently driven rapid growth and created substantial shareholder value. Prior to MARA, Mr. Thiel served as the CEO of two other public companies, Local Corporation (NASDAQ: LOCM) and Lantronix, Inc (NASDAQ: LTRX). He has successfully raised billions in equity and debt through private and public offerings, led companies through IPOs, executed high-value exits to strategic and financial acquirers, and implemented effective M&A and roll-up strategies.
Mr. Thiel attended the Stockholm School of Economics and executive classes at Harvard Business School, and is fluent in English, Spanish, Swedish, and French. Mr. Thiel is the Chairman of the Board for Oden Technology, Inc. and is active in Young Presidents’ Organization where he has led initiatives in both the FinTech and Technology Networks.
A recognized voice in the industry, Fred frequently shares his insights on energy and technology with major media outlets like Bloomberg TV, CNBC, and FOX Business, contributing to vital discussions about the future of these sectors.

Tim Draper

Tim Draper
He is a supporter and global thought leader for entrepreneurs everywhere, and is a leading spokesperson for Bitcoin and decentralization, having won the Bitcoin US Marshall’s auction in 2014, invested in over 50 crypto companies, and led investments in Coinbase, Ledger, Tezos, and Bancor, among others.

Afroman




