The Bitcoin Policy Institute has become a founding partner in the U.S. State Department’s Freedom Tech Excellence Program, aiming to boost efforts on digital freedom worldwide.
According to a July 24 post by the Institute, its staff will participate in temporary assignments at the State Department, collaborating on issues like online expression, privacy tools, digital surveillance, combating scams, and setting responsible artificial intelligence governance standards. Details on how many employees will be involved, start dates, or specific placements have not been disclosed.
The program brings private-sector experts into government roles for limited periods, allowing participants to remain connected to their organizations while lending specialized knowledge to diplomatic missions. Other founding partners include Palantir Technologies, Anduril Industries, and the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation.
The State Department emphasized that the initiative does not relate to cryptocurrency reserves, payments, or regulatory licensing but focuses on strengthening digital rights, including expanding access to encryption and virtual private networks, improving online safety for children, and countering unlawful surveillance.
By joining this effort, the Bitcoin Policy Institute aims to support digital freedoms globally by advising on encryption and open monetary systems, fields it has highlighted as key to national security and human rights since its founding in 2021.
BPI brings Bitcoin and privacy research into diplomacy illustrates the Institute’s ongoing role at the intersection of technology and policy.
