Public Policy
I started my D.C. career at the Cato Institute in 1999. After law school, I went to the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, where I started and directed its Technology Policy Program until 2014. After that I co-founded Coin Center where I served as executive director through 2024, and where I remain on the board. Here is some of my work during that time.
- Scholarly Articles
- Op-Eds
- Testimony
- Citations in Print & Web Publications
- Radio & Podcast Interviews
- Television Interviews
- Lectures & Panel Discussions
Scholarly Articles
- The Case for Electronic Cash: Why Private Peer-to-Peer Payments are Essential to an Open Society
Coin Center (2019). - State Digital Currency Principles and Framework
Coin Center (2017). With Peter Van Valkenburg. - Bitcoin: A Primer for Policymakers
Mercatus Center (2016). With Andrea Castillo. - Bitcoin Financial Regulation: Securities, Derivatives, Prediction Markets & Gambling
16 Columbia Science and Technology Law Review 144 (2014). With Houman Shadab & Andrea Castillo. - Cryptocurrency
The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics (2014). With Eli Dourado. - An Offer You Can’t Refuse: “Agency Threats” and the Rule of Law
37 Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy 553 (2014). - Copyright Unbalanced: From Incentive to Excess
Mercatus Center (2012). - Regulation: A Primer
Mercatus Center (2012). With Susan Dudley. - Loving the Cyber Bomb? The Dangers of Threat Inflation in Cybersecurity Policy
3 Harvard National Security Journal 39 (2011). With Tate Watkins. - Running for Cover: The BRAC Commission as a Model for Federal Spending Reform
9 Georgetown Journal of Law & Public Policy 131 (2010). - Transparency and Performance in Government
11 North Carolina Journal of Law & Tech. 161 (2010). With Drew Perraut. - All Your Data Are Belong to Us: Liberating Government Data
Open Government (Daniel Lathrop & Laurel Ruma, eds., O’Reilly 2010). - Midnight Regulations and Regulatory Review
61 Administrative Law Review 163 (2009). With Veronique de Rugy. - Toward a More Perfect Union: Regulatory Analysis and Performance Management
8 Florida State Business Law Review 1 (2009). With Jerry Ellig. - Hack, Mash & Peer: Crowdsourcing Government Transparency
9 Columbia Science & Technology Law Review 119 (2008). - A Tale of Two Commissions: Net Neutrality and Regulatory Analysis
16 CommLaw Conspectus 1 (2007). With Jerry Ellig. - Growth in Regulation Slows: An Analysis of the U.S. Budget for Fiscal Years 2007 and 2008
29th Annual Regulators’ Budget Report. With Melinda Warren. June 2007. - Sending out an S.O.S.: Public Safety Communications Interoperability as a Collective Action Problem
59 Federal Communications Law Journal 3 (2007). - Video Killed the Franchise Star: The Consumer Cost of Cable Franchising and Policy Alternatives
5 Journal on Telecomm. & High Tech. Law 199 (2006). With Jerry Ellig. - The Spectrum Commons in Theory and Practice
2007 Stanford Technology Law Review 1 (2007). - An Orphan Works Affirmative Defense to Copyright Infringement Actions
12 Michigan Telecomm. & Tech. Law Review 75 (2005). With Bridget Dooling. - Much Ado about Nothing: The Effects of the Post-Enactment Acquisition Rule in Palazzolo v. Rhode Island
14 Federal Circuit Bar Journal 543 (2005). - Relax, Don’t Do It: Why RFID Privacy Concerns Are Exaggerated and Legislation Is Premature
2004 UCLA Journal of Law & Technology 5 (2004).
Op-Eds
- The SAFT is a Symptom of Regulatory Uncertainty
CoinDesk, November 13,2017. - What Bitcoiners Are Doing to Fight Ransomware
Fortune, June 30, 2017. - Why Bitcoin Needs Washington to Go Mainstream
Fortune, June 1, 2017. - IRS Quest for Coinbase Data Sets Dangerous Precedent
American Banker, November 29, 2016. - Let Bitcoin into the campaign
The Hill, April 10, 2015. - The Price of Bitcoin Doesn’t Matter Right Now
WIRED, January 14, 2015. - Regulators Need to Take It Easy on Bitcoin Startups
WIRED, March 6, 2014. - Bitcoin: More than Money
Reason, December 2013. - US regulations are hampering Bitcoin's growth
The Guardian, November 18, 2013. - Why Regulators Should Embrace Bitcoin
American Banker, August 21, 2013. - Cyber-Security: Stand Down, for Now, Congress
TIME, February 22, 2013. - Free WiFi for the masses? Not so fast
Washington Examiner, February 8, 2013. - Measured Response to a Limited Threat
The New York Times, October 17, 2012. - Debate: This house believes that a hyperconnected world is more rather than less secure.
The Economist, June 26, 2012. - A Note to Congress: The United Nations Isn’t a Serious Threat to Internet Freedom—But You Are
The Atlantic, June 19, 2012. With Adam Thierer. - A Shift Toward Digital Currency
New York Times, April 4, 2012. - Cyberwar Is the New Yellowcake
Wired, February 14, 2012. With Tate M. Watkins. - The Cybersecurity-Industrial Complex
Reason, August/September 2011. With Tate M. Watkins. - BRAC the federal budget: Fiscal commission needs real power to cut programs
The Washington Times, May 28, 2010. - Cyberattacks: Washington is hyping the threat to justify regulating the Internet
Christian Science Monitor, April 29, 2010. With Tate M. Watkins. - Can Congress tweet? Should bloggers care?
Ars Technica, July 28, 2008. - Failure to Communicate
The Wall Street Journal, March 27, 2007. - Who’s your daddy?
The Wall Street Journal, March 25, 2006. With Bridget Dooling.
Testimony
- Cryptocurrencies: What are they good for?
Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, July 27, 2021. - Virtual Currencies, Related Futures Products, and Market and Regulatory Developments and Challenges
CFTC Technical Advisory Committee, February 14, 2018. - Virtual Currency: Financial Innovation and National Security Implications
Terrorism and Illicit Finance Subcommittee of the House Financial Services Committee, June 8, 2017. - Digital Currency and Block Chain Technology
House Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade, March 16, 2016. - Innovation and Transformation in Payment Technology
Testimony before California State Assembly Banking & Finance Committee, March 16, 2015. - Hearing on Digital Currency
Testimony before New Jersey State Assembly Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee, February 5, 2015. - Digital Currency Introduction – Bitcoin
CFTC Global Markets Advisory Committee, October 9, 2015. - Bitcoin: Examining the Benefits and Risks for Small Business
House Committee on Small Business, April 2, 2014. - Beyond Silk Road: Potential Risks, Threats, and Promises of Virtual Currencies
Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, November 18, 2013. - Transparency Through Technology: Evaluating Federal Open Government Efforts
House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Technology, Information Policy, Intergovernmental Relations, and Procurement Reform, March 9, 2011. - Economic Stimulus Oversight
House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, March 19, 2009.
Citations in Print & Web Publications
-
Exit interview with Coin Center chief
Axios, October 3, 2024 -
Founding Coin Center Chief Jerry Brito Stepping Down After Decade
CoinDesk, September 30, 2024 - Why a Crypto Podcaster Is Suing Janet Yellen
New York Magazine, October 13, 2022 - Crypto Advocacy Group Sues U.S. Treasury Over Tornado Cash Sanctions
Wall Street Journal, October 12, 2022 - Crypto Think Tank Coin Center Sues US Treasury Over Tornado Cash Sanctions
CoinDesk, October 12, 2022 - U.S. bars Americans from using crypto service Tornado Cash
Washington Post, August 8, 2022 - A legal challenge over crypto reporting could strike down decades-old anti-money laundering laws
The Verge, June 21, 2022 - Crypto industry says it is complying with Russian sanctions, as some policymakers ring alarms
Washington Post, March 3, 2022 - Bitcoin Fans Are Suddenly a Political Force
Wall Street Journal, August 16, 2021 - The Way the Senate Melted Down Over Crypto Is Very Revealing
New York Times, August 12, 2021 - Owners of BitMEX, a Leading Bitcoin Exchange, Face Criminal Charges
New York Times, October 1, 2020 - IRS quietly deletes guideline that Fortnite virtual currency must be reported on tax returns
CNN, February 14, 2020 - An elegy for cash: the technology we might never replace
MIT Technology Review, January 3, 2020 - The Week in Tech: Some Workers Hate Robots. Retraining May Change That.
New York Times, July 19, 2019 - Facebook Questioned on Cryptocurrency, But Battle Looms With Global Regulators
Wall Street Journal, July 16, 2019 - Pay Taxes With Bitcoin? Ohio Says Sure
Wall Street Journal, November 26, 2018 - Get ready for Big Bitcoin: Cryptocurrency industry opens a D.C. lobbying arm
Washington Post, September 11, 2018 - Crypto Industry Frustrated by Haphazard Regulation
New York Times, June 27, 2018 - Bitcoin and ether shouldn’t be regulated like stocks and bonds, a top SEC official says
Washington Post, June 14, 2018 - Crypto Market Rallies on SEC’s Official’s Ether Stance
Wall Street Journal, June 14, 2018 - Silicon Valley Is Into Bitcoin. It Wants to Keep Washington Out.
Wall Street Journal, April 19, 2018 - Cyberattackers’ Apparent Take: Just $51,000 So Far
Wall Street Journal, May 15, 2017 - IRS Crackdown on Bitcoin Exchange Fuels Privacy Worries
Wall Street Journal, March 27, 2017 - S.E.C. Rejects Winklevoss Brothers’ Bid to Create Bitcoin E.T.F.
New York Times, March 10, 2017 - For Fintech Start-Ups, Efforts to Rethink Rules That Cramp Innovation
New York Times, April 6, 2016 - Regulator Moves to Create New Fintech Framework
Wall Street Journal, March 28, 2016 - A Bitcoin charm offensive on law enforcement
Washington Post, October 22, 2015. - Bitcoin Rules Completed by New York Regulator
New York Times, June 3, 2015 - NY Financial Regulator Lawsky Releases Final BitLicense Rules for Bitcoin Firms
Wall Street Journal, June 3, 2015 - New York regulator issues final virtual currency rules
Reuters, June 3, 2015 - London stakes its claim as global bitcoin hub
Reuters, April 15, 2015 - Bitcoin: will 2015 be a make-or-break year?
The Guardian, February 3, 2015 - Introducing the Bitcoin Lobby
New York Magazine, January 12, 2015 - Bitcoin gets an industry-backed advocacy group
Washington Post, September 18, 2014 - Academics Call for Revisions to New York’s BitLicense Proposal
CoinDesk, August 18, 2014 - Bitcoin ATM builder takes aim at traditional financial services
Los Angeles Times, July 8, 2014 - Bitcoin Evangelist Is Bound but Not Out
Wall Street Journal, June 30, 2014 - Who created Bitcoin? Regulators don’t care
Politico, March 7, 2014 - Newly Revealed, Could Satoshi Nakamoto, Worth $400M In Bitcoin, Be In Danger?
Forbes, March 6, 2014. - Bitcoin backers unfazed by more setbacks
The Hill, March 1, 2014 - Bitcoin Forever!
Daily Beast, February 27, 2014 - Legal Troubles Barely Subdue a Bitcoin Evangelist’s Sermons
New York Times, February 6, 2014 - Bitcoin — boom or bubble?
Washington Post, January 19, 2014 - The mystery of Bitcoin is how it keeps users’ trust
Financial Times, November 22, 2013 - Five years of Bitcoin in one post
Washington Post, January 3, 2014 - Here’s how Bitcoin charmed Washington
Washington Post, November 21, 2013 - Bitcoin Gaining Validity Fuels Rally in Virtual Currency
Bloomberg, Nov. 19, 2013 - U.S. Agencies to Say Bitcoins Offer Legitimate Benefits
Businessweek, November 18, 2013 - Bitcoin hits $700 high as Senate stages hearing on virtual currency
The Guardian, November 18, 2013 - Arrests a breakthrough in global battle against secretive ‘hacktivist’ movement
Chicago Tribune, November 14, 2013 - How FBI brought down cyber-underworld site Silk Road
USA Today, October 22, 2013. - Study Suggests Studios Aren’t Offering Enough Online Legal Options to Counter Movie Piracy
Variety, October 15, 2013 - Many of the most-pirated movies aren’t available for legitimate online purchase
Washington Post, October 15, 2013 - Can digital rentals block piracy? New site gathers the data
Ars Technica, October 15, 2013 - Who Should Be Blamed for Facilitating Online Piracy?
Adweek, October 15, 2013 - The Magic of Bitcoin Turns FBI’s Seized Booty Into Government Protest
WIRED, October 4, 2013 - Bitcoin value drops after FBI shuts Silk Road drugs site
BBC, October 3, 2013 - The End of the Internet’s Biggest Black Market Is Good for Bitcoin
Businessweek, October 2, 2013 - Cyber security: The new arms race for a new front line
Christian Science Monitor, September 15, 2013 - Inside the Bitcoin advocates’ closed-door meeting with federal regulators
Washington Post, August 27, 2013 - Bitcoin: Tax haven of the future
Politico, August 9, 2013 - The Bitcoin drug business is getting more competitive
Washington Post, June 28, 2013 - Digital currency firms rush to adopt anti-money laundering rules amid global crackdown
Reuters, June 4, 2013 - Seven men charged in Liberty Reserve global money-laundering operation
Washington Post, May 28, 2013 - The coming political battle over Bitcoin
Washington Post, May 15, 2013 - Is the Drone’s Potential Being Shot Down Too Fast?
Harvard Business Review, April 23, 2013 - In Bitcoin we cannot trust
CBS News, April 17, 2013. - Yes, Bitcoin is volatile. But it’s still got defenders.
Washington Post, April 11, 2013 - A Six-Strike Rule for Internet Piracy
Wall Street Journal, March 3, 2013 - Internet Turns UN Telecoms Talks Into Reality Show
Reuters, December 14, 2012 - Editorial: Global Internet Diplomacy
New York Times, December 12, 2012 - GOP sides with Mickey Mouse on copyright reform
Washington Examiner, December 5, 2012 - A Free-Market Fix for the Copyright Racket
Bloomberg, November 29, 2012 - The U.N.’s Internet Power Grab
Wall Street Journal, June 18, 2012 - Shedding Light on the UN’s Internet Plans, WikiLeaks-Style
Mashable, June 12, 2012 - Porn, gambling, and malware: Bitcoin as the ‘Net’s Wild West
Ars Technica, June 8, 2012 - Curtain of mystery partially pulled back on computer hacker groups
Chicago Tribune, March 7, 2012 - Why the cyber security bill in Congress is getting big push from Pentagon
Christian Science Monitor, March 7, 2012 - ‘Mega’-Indictment Shows U.S. Already Has International Piracy Chops
National Journal, January 20, 2012 - Google Speaks Truth to Power
Wall Street Journal, October 24, 2011 - Taming and Reining in Cyberspace.
National Journal, September 15, 2011 - Speed Bumps on the Road to Virtual Cash
New York Times, July 4, 2011 - Stealing "entertainment services" now a crime in Tennessee
Ars Technica, June 3, 2011 - USA erklären das Netz zum Kriegsschauplatz
Der Spiegel, June 1, 2011 - The rise of the cybersecurity-industrial complex
Washington Examiner, April 27, 2011 - Two Fascinating Exhibits on Data Security
The Atlantic, April 26, 2011 - Take $787 Billion. Now Show Where It’s Going.
New York Times, March 21, 2010 - Eye Opener: What to watch with the stimulus
Washington Post, October 20, 2009 - Contract to Upgrade Recovery.gov Stimulates Criticism
Wall Street Journal, July 9, 2009 - Web Users Offer Their Two Cents On How to Spend Stimulus Billions
Wall Street Journal, April 10, 2009 - Could Crowdsourcing Help Control the Stimulus?
Washington Post, March 18, 2009 - A Zealous Watchman to Follow the Money
New York Times, March 9, 2009 - Some Agencies Are Slow in Handing Out Stimulus Grants
Wall Street Journal, March 2, 2009 - See-Through Stimulus
Columbia Journalism Review, February 6, 2009 - Tracking Stimulus Funds Presents Daunting Task
NPR, February 4, 2009 - Everything You Need to Know About the Stimulus Is Online
Fast Company, February 3, 2009 - Dems eye midnight regulations reversal
Politico, November 12, 2008 - Dear Mr. President
Popular Science, October 2008 - Outdated Radios Fail Capitol Police
Washington Post, June 2, 2008 - Flying Blind in a Red-Tape Blizzard
The Atlantic, July 2007
Radio & Podcast Interviews
- The Current US Regulatory Landscape for Crypto
Epicenter, November 10, 2021. - FinCEN’s Discriminatory Rulemaking
What Bitcoin Did, December 27, 2020. - Financial Privacy, Digital Currency and Stablecoin Payments
The Money Movement with Jeremy Allaire, July 23, 2020. - How is Bitcoin Legal
What Bitcoin Did, January 28, 2020. - The Case for Electronic Cash in an Open and Free Society
Epicenter Podcast, July 19, 2019. - Backed by Silicon Valley Cash, Bitcoin Begins to Mature
California Report, KQED, April 17, 2015. - How cash is like Bitcoin. And how Bitcoin is like Kim Kardashian.
Marketplace, American Public Media, January 29, 2014. - Bitcoin Rides High on the Hill
Cato Daily Podcast, November 19, 2013. - FBI Shuts Down Silk Road, but the ‘Deep Web’ Lives On
Forum, KQED, October 4, 2013. - Regulation and Bitcoin
Cato Daily Podcast, August 27, 2013. - Lawmakers, Banking Regulators Take On Bitcoin
All Things Considered, NPR, August 13, 2013. - Bitcoin blow: U.S. government freezes funds to trade the digital currency
Marketplace, American Public Media, May 16, 2013. - Bitcoin 101
Davis & Emmer, KTCN, April 25, 2013. - World Conference on International Telecommunication,
Federal News Radio, December 4, 2012. - Is international cyber warfare a real threat?,
On the Media, WNYC, December 2, 2011. - Skeptics Question AT&T’s Logic In T-Mobile Deal,
All Things Considered, NPR, June 20, 2011. - Podcast: Jerry Brito on a Career in Ideas,
Kosmos, September 10, 2010. - Watching the Stimulus,
Cato Daily Podcast, December 9, 2009. - A look at where stimulus spending is going,
Kojo Nnamdi Show, WAMU, December 7, 2009. - New Features on Stimulus Watch 2.0,
Federal News Radio, November 25, 2009. - $9.5 million contract to redesign Recovery.gov,
Federal News Radio, July 10, 2009. - Making Stimulus Spending Transparent,
All Things Considered, NPR, April 20, 2009. - Online transparency and future of local news,
Kojo Nnamdi Show, WAMU, March 23, 2009. - A More Transparent Federal Government,
Cato Daily Podcast, March 11, 2009. - Sunshine Week and Government Data,
Cato Daily Podcast, March 21, 2008.
Television Interviews
- Coin Center’s Brito skeptical about Bitcoin creator claims
Reuters, May 2, 2016. - Do digital currencies make it easier for terrorists to move money?
Fox News, November 20, 2015. - Professor Bitcoin
VICE, January 8, 2014. - Grieving father sees some relief in Silk Road closure
Australian Broadcasting Corporation, October 7, 2013. - The Bitcoin Revolution,
Stossel, Fox Business, September 19, 2013. - Why Bitcoin is Here to Stay: Q&A with Jerry Brito,
Reason TV, April 17, 2013. - Bitcoin Goes Big,
Huffington Post Live, April 12, 2013. - Fears About A New Copyright Alert,
Huffington Post Live, January 9, 2013. - Why Copyright Law is so Mickey Mouse - And How to Fix It,
Reason TV, December 13, 2012. - Who Rules The Internet?,
Huffington Post Live, December 4, 2012. - Should the UN regulate the internet?,
Al Jazeera’s The Stream, November 29, 2012. - Why Bitcoin Could Change the Shape of Currency,
Freedom Watch, Fox Business, November 22, 2012. - Bitcoin virtual currency,
Al Jazeera’s The Stream, June 16, 2011. - Bitcoin & the End of State-Controlled Money: Q&A with Jerry Brito,
Reason.tv, June 1, 2011. - Tumbleroo for the iPad,
TWiT’s iPad Today, August 28 2010. - Online earmark transparency,
Federal News Tonight, NewsChannel 8, March 18, 2010. - Stimulus spending transparency,
Channel 9 News, November 17, 2009. - Inside OpenRegs.com,
Federal News Tonight, NewsChannel 8, July 21, 2009. - Redesigning Recovery.gov,
Fox and Friends, Fox News, July 10, 2009. - House Testimony: Preventing Stimulus Waste and Fraud
C-SPAN, March 19, 2009. - Bush’s Midnight Regulations,
NBC Nightly News, December 4, 2008. - Lame Duck on the Clock,
CNN American Morning, November 20, 2008.
Lectures & Panel Discussions
- Tech Innovations Building a Brighter Future
Atlas Network Freedom Forum, November 15, 2023 - Crypto and National Security: How to Validate American Innovation and Verify U.S. National Security
National Security Institute, March 30, 2022 - Cryptocurrencies: Money, Trust and Regulation
Federalist Society, February 24, 2022 - Blockchain in the Beltway, crypto at the Capitol
American Enterprise Institute, January 3, 2022 - Censorship Resistant Bitcoin as a Sponsor of Social Change
Harvard Law School Blockchain & Fintech Conference, March 4, 2021 - Trans-Atlantic Panel on Government and Privacy
Monero Konferenco & Zcon 1, June 22, 2019 - Legislating Certainty for Cryptocurrencies: Congressional Industry Convening
Library of Congress, September 25, 2018 - Main Stage Regulatory Update
Ethereum Devcon 3, October 23, 2017 - President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology
The White House, July 6, 2016. - What Coin Center Believes In and What We Do
Coin Center Annual Dinner, May 6, 2016. - Where things Stand with Cryptocurrency & Public Policy
Cato Institute, April 12, 2016. - Beyond Bitcoin
Brookings Institution, January 14, 2016. - How the Blockchain Could Change Everything
Techonomy Policy, July 6, 2015. - Debate: Is Bitcoin Here to Stay?
Third Way, March 20, 2015. - Bitcoin Regulation: An Evolving Landscape
MIT Bitcoin Expo 2015, March 7, 2015. - Foreign Affairs Cryptocurrency Policy Forum
Council on Foreign Relations, February 12, 2015. - The Bitcoin Policy Prescription: Will Policymakers Get It Right (Again) Or Will Fear Stifle Innovation?
State of the Net Conference, January 23, 2015. - Bitcoin: Beyond the Currency
Bloomberg, November 17, 2014. - NYU Law Digital Currency Conference: Legal and Policy Issues
New York University School of Law, April 7, 2014. - Let’s Get Real: Will You Ever Use Bitcoin at Walmart?
New America Foundation, February 11, 2014. - Bitcoin: The Third Era of Currency
State of the Net Conference, January 28, 2014. - Cell Phone Unlocking and Copyright
TechFreedom, June 17, 2013 - Laws of Creation: Property Rights in the World of Ideas
Cato Institute, March 20, 2013. - Copyright Unbalanced: From Incentive to Excess
Cato Institute, December 6, 2012. - The Search for Solutions: Looking Beyond Prescriptive Regulation
Congressional briefing, May 1, 2012. - Hackers, Terrorists, and Rogue States: What Do They Mean for American Cybersecurity?
Congressional briefing, April 12, 2012. - Cybersecurity: Will Federal Regulation Help?
Cato Institute, April 10, 2012. - Panel on the Future of Government Transparency
Sunlight Foundation, April 29, 2010. - Stimulating Accountability
Congressional briefing, March 17, 2009. - The Dangers of Network Neutrality Regulation
Cato Institute, January 13, 2009. - Just Give Us the Data! Prospects for Putting Government Information to Revolutionary New Uses
Cato Institute, December 10, 2008.