Great discussions today at a @Web3DC-hosted town hall on digital assets, AI, and policymaking. My main takeaway from the two panels: the people who define a technology often shape how it's ultimately regulated. Whether its Web3 or generative AI, you need advocates who can explain the tech in plain language before any legislation is written. Definitions and first impressions tend to stick in DC. "Educate before you legislate" came up repeatedly, for good reason. From a comms perspective, the question for me becomes: are the Web3 and AI champions able to step back and do that effectively? And what can the AI labs learn from crypto's comms experience? For most people, "crypto" still conjures meme culture (diamond hands, NGMI, 🚀, Dogecoin), scams, and speculation. Those associations overshadowed the underlying tech and its legitimate use cases. Lawmakers and their aides are no different, having understandably built their mental models from that same narrative environment. Parts of the AI ecosystem risk recreating the same problem. The sweeping, often apocalyptic pronouncements on the labor market get the attention instead of grounded discussions on practical applications, risks, and tradeoffs. How much of the current backlash against data centers could have been softened with more transparent, proactive communications? Going direct has value, but sometimes the SF founder is going to be the wrong messenger for DC. Building a broader ecosystem of communicators, storytellers, and trusted intermediaries who can translate these technologies should have been a priority years ago. It is certainly a necessity now. Policy is path dependent. The first metaphors, definitions, and use cases that policymakers internalize become the frame through which future debate is understood. Crypto has spent years trying to move past "Bitcoin = criminal activity." How long will AI have to spend contending with mental models centered on energy- and water-guzzling data centers, deepfakes, and chatbots sexting minors? Overcoming this requires making the problems these technologies solve the story. Instead of explaining what an agent is, focus on what does it can actually do for a real business or consumer: sending remittances faster, verifying and managing health records, finding you cheaper airline tickets, etc. As I talked with other attendees, that remains a challenge for the digital assets space. Beyond HODLing for a big payout or protection in a high-inflation environment, what tangible value does a Bitcoin or stablecoin offer the average person? DeFi and staking may create real utility, but those conversations have mostly stayed inside the crypto community. Meanwhile, the speed of AI's evolution has produced a flood of acronyms and concepts that make most people’s eyes glaze over, obscuring the concrete benefits. I left @PubKey more convinced that closing the comms gap has been and will remain a central challenge for both Web3 and AI.

Speaker Update Announcement. Digital Assets and Ai Town hall Monday July 20th, 6:00-8:30PM @PubKey (Washington D.C) Staked Ai Panel -Building the Future – AI, Blockchain & American Innovation luma.com/ujh4zz9w RSVP is a must. More announcements coming 🔥 #clarityact #chipsact #crypto #ai #EmergingMarkets @joerazz @SeemaAlexander @ProfJimLiew