In line with policy, Block.one hires former head of Congressional Relations to support its blockchain activities

EOS parent company Block.one revealed in the information disclosure form registered in May that it hired a lobbying company.

The document shows that Block.one is a client of the international law firm Holland & Knight LLP, which works in more than 200 different areas of practice, including regulatory and government affairs, blockchain technology and e-commerce.

In terms of specific lobbying issues (current and expected), Block.one points out policies related to blockchain. Block.one paid $30,000 for the lobbying event.

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The document also shows that Scott Mason and Norma Krayem will serve as lobbyists for Block.one. Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Mason served as the head of the Congressional Relations Department of the current US President, Donald Trump, responsible for ensuring that Congress supports Trump's work and assisting members of Congress in communicating with the transition team.

In 2018, the number of lobbying groups responsible for blockchain technology issues in Washington tripled. In the fourth quarter of 2018, there were 33 such projects, compared to 12 in the same period in 2017.

Lobbyist Dina Ellis Rochkind said that as of mid-March, blockchain companies were still "in the early stages of winning congressional allies." Izzy Klein of the Klein/Johnson Group (which has Ripley support) said at the time:

“I think that when you create new technologies and platforms in traditional, highly regulated areas, you need as much legal sound and guidance as possible.”

On the road to legal compliance, cryptocurrency and blockchain startups are inseparable from the help of professionals in traditional regulatory fields. Long before Block.one hired a lobbying company, Washington had set up a lobbying group for blockchain practitioners.

Last September, the US-based blockchain and cryptocurrency company announced the formation of the Blockchain Association, the first lobbying group representing the Washington blockchain industry.

The association is comprised of leading companies such as cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase, technology startups Protocol Labs, Digital Money Group (DCG) and Polychain Capital. This lobbying organization represents entrepreneurs and investors working on blockchain projects.

The Blockchain Association represents the mainstream companies that want to operate within the political system, primarily addressing policy issues and the handling of cryptocurrencies by US tax laws.

Coinbase Chief Legal and Risk Officer Mike Lempres said at the time:

“The purpose of the Blockchain Association was to bring together the best companies in the field and let (policy makers) know that they heard the voices of companies that welcomed regulation at the right time. We don’t want to challenge this system. But want to build a legal and regulatory system that can stand the test of time."

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