American Innovation Project Adds Crypto and Mining Policy Fellows in D.C. Push
The American Innovation Project named Jacob Smagula and Hugo Swangstu as fellows on May 5, bringing direct cryptocurrency and Bitcoin mining experience into the think tank’s Washington policy operation. Smagula previously worked on the government affairs team at MARA Holdings, the publicly traded Bitcoin miner.
The addition signals growing demand for technically grounded advocates as Congress advances digital asset legislation in 2026.
What Each Fellow Brings
Smagula’s role at MARA involved representing the company’s interests before legislators and regulators. That background gives the American Innovation Project a direct line to the operational realities of Bitcoin mining, including energy policy, zoning, and grid-interconnection rules.
Swangstu’s background, according to CoinDesk’s report published May 5, includes technology policy work alongside cryptocurrency exposure. The two fellows expand AIP’s capacity to engage on specific technical questions rather than broad digital asset framing.
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Background
The American Innovation Project is a Washington-based advocacy organization focused on technology and innovation policy.
It has worked on issues including spectrum policy, autonomous vehicles, and emerging financial technology. Bitcoin mining’s presence in U.S. policy debates expanded significantly after 2022, when Texas and other states became major hosting destinations and federal energy regulators began collecting data on the sector’s grid impact.
MARA Holdings, which appeared in prior earnings as one of the largest publicly traded miners by hash rate, has maintained a Washington presence as the industry sought to shape reporting requirements and tax treatment.
The Clarity Act, which addresses cryptocurrency market structure, advanced in Congress in late April 2026, adding urgency to advocacy hiring across the sector.
Also Read: Public Companies Bought More Bitcoin in Q1 2026 Than in Any Quarter on Record
What to Watch
The practical question is whether AIP’s expanded team influences specific legislative language in the Clarity Act or related energy and mining bills. Congressional staffers working on cryptocurrency provisions have increasingly sought technical input from industry participants.
Two fellows with direct mining and government affairs backgrounds position AIP to provide that input at a critical legislative window. The next milestone is a committee markup expected in late May 2026, which would lock in the bill’s core definitions for digital assets and mining classification.
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