Current Position & Biography
Jerry Brito is a co-founder and board member of Coin Center, the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit focused on cryptocurrency policy. He served as its executive director through 2024. Coin Center now identifies Peter Van Valkenburgh as executive director, so Brito’s continuing board role should not be confused with day-to-day leadership.
Before founding Coin Center, Brito established and directed the Technology Policy Program at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. His professional background is in technology policy and law. His contribution to the cryptocurrency ecosystem has centered on explaining the technology to policymakers and advocating for rules governing its use, rather than developing a blockchain protocol or operating an exchange.
Notable Contributions
Brito and Andrea Castillo coauthored Bitcoin: A Primer for Policymakers. Mercatus published its second edition in May 2016. The book explains Bitcoin and blockchain applications for a policy audience and advances recommendations about how government should approach the technology. Its legal and regulatory discussion is historical and should not be used as a substitute for checking current requirements.
In February 2019, Brito published The Case for Electronic Cash through Coin Center. It argues that private, peer-to-peer payments support individual autonomy and an open society. The report acknowledges that ordinary Bitcoin transactions leave a traceable digital record and distinguishes that system from the more privacy-preserving electronic cash it advocates. These are attributed policy arguments, not a claim that every cryptocurrency offers anonymity or that financial intermediaries have no useful role.
Brito also appeared as a witness at the United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs hearing “Cryptocurrencies: What are they good for?” on July 27, 2021. The official hearing record identifies him in his then-role as Coin Center’s executive director. His participation provides a concrete record of engagement with federal lawmakers; appearing at a hearing does not itself establish that Congress adopted a witness’s recommendations.
Why Katharos Is Following Them
Brito helped build an institution dedicated specifically to the legal and policy questions raised by open cryptocurrency networks. His writing and testimony provide a record of how advocates have explained Bitcoin’s significance to audiences outside software development and trading.
Following that work is useful for understanding the relationship between technical architecture and legal responsibility. Questions about who controls funds, who can publish software and whether individuals can transact without an intermediary often depend on details that broad labels such as “crypto business” do not capture.
The editorial focus should remain on identifiable arguments, documents and institutional roles. It should compare advocacy with the relevant law and with the concerns of regulators, users and other stakeholders, rather than treating an organization’s preferred policy as an established legal conclusion.
Areas to Follow
Legal treatment of open cryptocurrency networks and software development. Financial privacy and peer-to-peer electronic payments. How technical explanations inform legislative and regulatory debate. The evolution of cryptocurrency advocacy institutions and their leadership.
Reporting Scope
Label former executive roles and historical testimony accurately. Attribute advocacy positions to Brito or the organization that published them. Verify current statutes, regulations and court outcomes separately before drawing legal conclusions. Inclusion is not legal advice, investment advice or endorsement of a specific asset.
Katharos Category
Policy & Regulation
Photo Credit
Gage Skidmore, ‘Jerry Brito & Chris Coyne,’ International Students for Liberty Conference, Washington, D.C., February 16, 2014. CC BY-SA 2.0. Cropped to Jerry Brito and resized; this adaptation is shared under CC BY-SA 2.0. Photograph: Source 7; license: Source 8.