Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has created a “crypto native think tank” in an attempt to help shape the global conversation around policies for digital assets. The newly formed Coinbase Institute will also publish research on crypto and Web3. Coinbase tapped its director of policy Hermine Wong to head the institute. She previously served in the Division of Economic and Risk Analysis at the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and before that worked at the Department of State. The related Coinbase Institute Advisory Board has also been formed and will feature academics across law and finance from top universities such …

Conservative United States think tank the Heritage Foundation argues that instead of launching a central bank digital currency (CBDC), the government should ensure that the public can use the currencies they prefer, including private ones. In a commentary piece published on Feb. 12, the Heritage Foundation notes that Facebook’s Libra global stablecoin project “is just the latest reminder that providing money does not have to be a centralized function of government.” The report answers to the idea that the public sector must ensure that sovereign currencies stay at the center of each nation’s financial system: “Government officials should not suppress …

In September, Coin Center announced that they were launching a blockchain-technology think tank with a $1 million budget. Tuesday, they kicked off the website, which includes a number of resources. The think tank, which they call “a new voice for Bitcoin,” is dedicated to spreading knowledge about cryptocurrency technologies. Coin Center runs under the vision of Executive Director Jerry Brito, who left his position as senior research director at Mercatus Center to start the advocacy group. They want to encourage a more supportive regulatory climate for Bitcoin. “Success for us is a world in which regulators, the media, and the …