Miller Whitehouse-Levine is the founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Solana Policy Institute. He has held several leadership roles in the digital asset advocacy sector, including serving as the CEO of the DeFi Education Fund and as a policy director at the Blockchain Association. ^{[1] [2]}

Early Life

Whitehouse-Levine's interest in cryptocurrency began between 2013 and 2014 while he was living in China. He observed the country's political environment, which he described as one where "everything is downstream of politics in a way that is very visceral and evident." This experience influenced his perspective on centralized power and drew him to the ideological premise of Bitcoin, which he saw as a technology capable of empowering individuals against concentrated state and corporate actors. He has stated that he believes decentralized networks are an outlier in technological development because they can shift power back to individuals, in contrast to other technologies that have historically empowered centralized entities. As a non-technical professional, he initially found limited opportunities in the early crypto industry but later combined his interest in the space with his background in public policy. ^[3]

Education

Whitehouse-Levine attended Georgetown University's Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in International Politics. During his studies, he also completed a minor in Mandarin Chinese. ^{[1] [10]}

Career

Miller Whitehouse-Levine began his career in public policy with roles that included an internship at the U.S. House of Representatives and work as a congressional aide. He also worked as a policy professional at the firm Goldstein Policy Solutions, where his portfolio included cryptocurrency issues. He has been registered as a lobbyist during his career. His formal entry into the digital asset industry's policy sector occurred in 2019 when he joined the Blockchain Association, a prominent trade group in Washington D.C. At the association, he served as Director of Policy and later as Head of Policy Operation, working under the organization's then-CEO, Kristin Smith.

In 2021, he became the CEO of the DeFi Education Fund, a nonpartisan, nonprofit research and advocacy organization focused on decentralized finance. He led the organization until March 2025, after which he remained a member of its board. In mid-January 2025, Whitehouse-Levine began the process of establishing a new advocacy group. On March 31, 2025, he officially announced the launch of the Solana Policy Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating policymakers and advocating for the Solana ecosystem and similar decentralized networks. He assumed the role of founder and CEO, initially as the sole employee with plans for expansion. The institute's launch was timed during a period of increased legislative and regulatory focus on the cryptocurrency industry in the United States. ^{[5] [6] [2] [3] [4] [10]}

Solana Policy Institute

As founder and CEO, Whitehouse-Levine established the Solana Policy Institute (SPI) as a non-partisan, non-profit entity based in Washington, D.C. The organization's stated mission is to educate U.S. lawmakers and regulators on the broader applications of cryptocurrency that extend beyond Bitcoin, with a focus on decentralized application ecosystems like Solana. SPI aims to advocate for "technology-neutral policies" that create a "level playing field" for the digital asset industry.

The institute is funded by supporters from the Solana ecosystem, though the identities of the funders have been kept confidential at their request. The Solana Foundation has stated that it is a separate and distinct organization from the Solana Policy Institute. Upon its launch, SPI announced that Kristin Smith, former head of the Blockchain Association, would join as its first president in May 2025. The organization is a member of the Blockchain Association and frequently co-signs joint policy letters with other industry groups. ^{[3] [8] [7]}

Advocacy and Policy Stances

Whitehouse-Levine's advocacy work centers on establishing clear and favorable regulations for public blockchains and decentralized technologies in the United States. He has been quoted in media outlets such as Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, and Reuters on matters of cryptocurrency policy.

His policy objectives are guided by a philosophy of avoiding "regulatory capture or tech-specific policies." In an interview, he stated, "Our objective is not to establish some regulatory capture or tech-specific policies." He has identified market structure legislation as "critically important" for the broader crypto industry. ^{[5] [1]}

Unlicensed Money Transmission Laws

Whitehouse-Levine has identified the U.S. Department of Justice's (DOJ) application of unlicensed money transmission laws, specifically 18 U.S.C. § 1960, against non-custodial software developers as the most significant threat to the cryptocurrency industry. He frequently cites the prosecution of Tornado Cash developer Roman Storm as an example of what he considers regulatory overreach. He has argued that the DOJ's legal theory in the case creates a "sword of Damocles" hanging over the industry, as it could extend criminal liability to nearly all crypto developers, including the pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin, Satoshi Nakamoto. He has stated, "I care about nothing more" when asked about the issue he believes requires more attention. ^[3]

Tokenized Equities

The Solana Policy Institute, under Whitehouse-Levine's leadership, has actively engaged with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on proposals for creating regulated markets for tokenized equities on public blockchains. This initiative, referred to as "Project Open," aims to expand the universe of on-chain assets beyond crypto-native tokens to include traditional financial assets, enabling developers to build new financial infrastructure. ^[3]

Taxation

Whitehouse-Levine advocates for "clear and fair guidance" on the taxation of digital assets. He has reported that the Solana Policy Institute is working directly with the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to develop guidance on issues such as token classification, staking rewards, and the tax treatment of activities within decentralized finance. ^[3]

Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs)

He distinguishes Central Bank Digital Currencies from the core focus of the crypto industry. Whitehouse-Levine has stated that he does not consider CBDCs to be a "crypto issue" but rather a "sovereign currency issue," separate from the development and advocacy for decentralized networks. ^[3]

Controversies

The establishment of the Solana Policy Institute and its direct engagement in U.S. federal policy have drawn some criticism. Concerns have been raised by some observers within the cryptocurrency community that such direct lobbying efforts by a specific blockchain ecosystem contradict the original decentralized and anti-establishment ethos of the space. ^[8]

Interviews

Discussion on DeFi Policy and Regulation #01

On May 24, 2024, Miller Whitehouse-Levine, Chief Executive Officer of the DeFi Education Fund, participated in an episode of PGP (Pretty Good Policy) for Crypto, a YouTube podcast hosted by Paul Brigner of Electric Coin Co. The conversation examined the regulatory environment of decentralized finance (DeFi) and the role of education in shaping policy responses.

Whitehouse-Levine explained that DeFi presents challenges for existing regulatory frameworks because it functions without intermediaries, unlike traditional financial systems. He noted that applying uniform rules to both centralized and decentralized structures may not reflect their operational differences and could lead to gaps in consumer protection or constraints on the development of new systems.

During the interview, he described self-custody wallets as a central component of DeFi, highlighting their relevance to financial privacy and access, particularly in regions where banking services are limited. He also discussed DeFi’s potential to broaden participation in financial systems, characterizing it as part of a wider debate on access to economic infrastructure.

The discussion further addressed developments in the United States, including rulemaking by the Securities and Exchange Commission, legislative debates in Congress, and judicial proceedings concerning decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) and software protocols. Whitehouse-Levine pointed to the importance of coordination among advocacy groups and noted that demonstrations of DeFi tools can serve as a way to explain technical concepts to policymakers.

The interview outlined his perspective on the intersection of DeFi, regulation, and public policy, emphasizing the difficulties involved in designing frameworks that account for decentralized systems while addressing regulatory objectives. ^[11]

A New Era for Crypto in 2025

On April 22, 2025, Miller Whitehouse-Levine participated in an interview on the Lightspeed YouTube channel, where he discussed the creation of the Solana Policy Institute and broader developments in U.S. cryptocurrency regulation. During the interview, he explained the motivation behind forming an advocacy group focused specifically on the Solana blockchain and commented on ongoing policy debates in Washington, D.C.

Whitehouse-Levine emphasized that engagement with policymakers is necessary to represent Solana’s development beyond its association with meme coins. He argued in favor of technology-neutral frameworks designed to support innovation while avoiding policies that disproportionately benefit existing financial incumbents. The discussion also addressed proposed legislation related to stablecoins and market structure, with Whitehouse-Levine noting that congressional action offers more durable regulatory clarity than administrative or judicial measures.

The interview further covered topics such as the classification of staking rewards, the Department of Justice’s interpretation of money transmission laws, and the Securities and Exchange Commission’s evolving approach under Commissioner Hester Peirce. Whitehouse-Levine presented these issues as examples of the complex regulatory challenges currently facing the cryptocurrency sector in the United States.

In summary, the interview framed the launch of the Solana Policy Institute as a response to ongoing legislative and regulatory developments, with the stated aim of ensuring that the Solana ecosystem is represented in policy discussions that shape the future of cryptocurrency regulation in the country. ^[12]