Practical policy.
Financial privacy.

Paul Brigner is the Founder of Pretty Good Policy for Zcash, Chief Policy & Regulatory Officer at Zcash Open Development Lab (Zodl), member of the Zcash Community Grants Committee, and Adjunct Faculty of FinTech at Georgetown University. He is a technology policy executive, former software developer, attorney, and U.S. Army veteran with experience spanning software engineering, internet governance, cryptocurrency policy, financial privacy, and public advocacy. His career has included senior roles at Verizon, Internet Society, the Motion Picture Association, the Chamber of Digital Commerce, Coinbase Institute, Electric Coin Co., Bootstrap, and Zodl. Through PGP* and the DC Privacy Summit, he convenes policymakers, builders, researchers, advocates, and industry leaders to advance discussion of crypto policy, privacy-preserving technologies, digital rights, and open financial systems. His work focuses on Zcash, financial privacy, and the future of digital cash.

Michele Korver is the Head of Regulatory at a16z crypto where she helps a16z's portfolio companies navigate the fast-developing global regulatory landscape. She joined a16z crypto after more than 25 years in government, serving as a U.S. District Court law clerk, and a federal prosecutor in the Miami, Florida, and Denver, Colorado, United States Attorney’s Offices. In 2017, she debuted the role of Digital Currency Counsel, the U.S. Department of Justice’s first dedicated subject matter expert in cryptocurrency-related prosecutions and forfeitures. Following her time at the DOJ, she served as Chief Digital Currency Advisor at the Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), advising the Director on digital asset-related matters across the bureau’s divisions.

Dan represents Blockchain Association as Executive Vice President of Industry Affairs. Since 2012, Dan has been an advocate of decentralized digital assets, bitcoin, and blockchain technology. From 2016-2020, Dan led membership growth at the Chamber of Digital Commerce, and in 2019 was appointed Co-Chair of the North Carolina Blockchain Initiative by the state’s Lieutenant Governor. He previously worked for North Carolina’s Department of Commerce and successfully drove a multi-stakeholder campaign leading to the passage of the NC Money Transmitters Act of 2016.

Julie Stitzel is Vice President of Policy for Digital Currency Group (DCG), the most active investor in the blockchain sector with a mission to accelerate the development of a better financial system through the proliferation of digital assets and blockchain technology. In this role, Julie advances global policy and regulatory strategy across digital assets for DCG, its subsidiaries, and its portfolio companies.

Julie joined DCG in 2022 from Block, where she led bitcoin and crypto policy efforts as Head of Bitcoin Policy for Cash App. Prior to Block, Julie was Vice President of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Center for Capital Markets Competitiveness, leading the team’s efforts on digital assets, fintech, consumer finance, and access to capital for minority-owned businesses.

J.W. Verret is an Associate Professor at the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University, where he teaches banking, securities, and corporation law. He also serves as a Director of the Zcash Foundation.