Jacob Smagula, a former government affairs staffer at bitcoin mining company MARA, has joined the policy team at the DeFi Education Fund, the advocacy group confirmed this week. The hire adds a mining-industry perspective to a Washington-based organization focused on decentralized finance regulation.
From mining to DeFi
Smagula previously worked on the government affairs team at MARA, one of the largest publicly traded bitcoin miners. There he dealt with state and federal policy around energy use, permitting, and crypto mining tax treatment. He now serves on the policy team at the DeFi Education Fund, a non-profit that lobbies for decentralized finance rules in Washington.
A policy crossover
The move is notable because mining and DeFi often face separate regulatory tracks — mining under energy and securities laws, DeFi under trading and custody rules. Smagula's experience at MARA gives him firsthand knowledge of how proof-of-work consensus is treated by regulators, a topic that increasingly overlaps with DeFi as lawmakers examine blockchain infrastructure and environmental impact.
The new role
Smagula has already begun his work on the DeFi Education Fund's policy team, the fund said. His hiring comes as the group continues to build out its Washington presence ahead of expected regulatory proposals this year. No further details on his specific portfolio were disclosed.
