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About DEF
The DeFi Education Fund is a nonpartisan research and advocacy group working to explain the benefits of DeFi, achieve regulatory clarity for the future of the global digital economy, and help realize the transformative potential of DeFi for everyone.
We exist because DeFi has immense potential for human prosperity, but that can only be realized with buy in from governments and appropriate policy. We work to help realize DeFi's promise by educating regulators and policymakers and advocating for smart approaches.
The DEF focuses on research and advocacy efforts in the following areas:
Policymaker Education
Educating legislative and regulatory policymakers about the benefits of DeFi and decentralized governance.
Thought Leadership and Research
Explaining and demystifying the existing and potential benefits and uses of DeFi.
Grassroots Advocacy
Making it easy for DeFi community members to voice their opinions in the policymaking process.
Messaging
Better formulating ideas, preparing spokespeople, and communicating to policymakers and the general public the benefits and promise of DeFi.
Legal Firepower
Developing a strong bench of legal advocates in multiple jurisdictions and venues.
Best Practices
Developing models for all DeFi projects to benefit from collectively.
Our Team
Miller Whitehouse-Levine
Chief Executive Officer
With oversight from the DEF’s grants committee, Miller has overall strategic and operational responsibility for the execution of the organization’s mission and goals. Prior to joining the fund, Miller led the Blockchain Association’s policy operation and worked at Goldstein Policy Solutions on a range of public policy issues, including crypto. Miller holds a B.S. in international politics and a minor in Mandarin Chinese from Georgetown's School of Foreign Service.
Amanda serves as the DEF's Chief Legal Officer where she leads the organization's impact litigation and policy efforts. Prior to joining DEF, Amanda was a lawyer at Kobre & Kim, where she defended clients against criminal and regulatory investigations, government enforcement actions, and large scale litigation. Before Kobre & Kim, she served as a law clerk for the Honorable Ann M. Donnelly of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Prior to her clerkship, Amanda practiced at Dechert LLP in their white-collar and securities litigation group, where she defended corporations and C-suite executives in government investigations and class-action securities disputes.
Amanda Tuminelli
Chief Legal Officer
Maxwell Bernstein
Communications & Operations Senior Manager
Max serves as the DEF’s senior communications manager and is responsible for the development and execution of all aspects of DEF’s integrated communications strategy. Max also serves as DEF's senior operations manager. Prior to joining the Fund, Max spent five years as an in-house communications consultant, serving clients in both the nonprofit and for-profit sectors. Max has experience working with some of the nation’s biggest names in finance and fintech, advising clients on a plethora of issues including, pending legislation, DOJ investigations and mergers and acquisitions. Max holds a B.A. in Politics, Economics and Law from the University of Richmond.
Lizandro (Laz) Pieper
Policy Associate
Laz serves as the DEF’s Policy Associate and is responsible for policy research and advocacy. He also works closely with Max in the development and execution of DEF’s integrated communications strategy. Prior to joining the Fund, Laz has worked and led teams on five political campaigns including U.S. Senatorial and U.S. House campaigns. Laz was first introduced to DeFi in Spring 2020 while conducting foreign policy research for his internship at a Washington-based think tank. Laz holds a B.A. in Political Science with a concentration in U.S. Law and Government, as well as minors in both Legal Studies and Criminology from Colorado State University.