This week, Plume joined a coalition of industry leaders in signing a letter from the DeFi Education Fund to members of the U.S. Senate Committees on Banking and Agriculture.
Our letter calls on Congress to ensure robust federal protections for software developers and non-custodial service providers as market structure legislation for digital assets advances.
For us at Plume, this is not just a matter of industry alignment. It’s about securing the foundation of crypto innovation in the United States.
Why Policy Is Needed Now
Our letter makes a clear case: blockchain developers and non-custodial providers should not be regulated as financial intermediaries.
The people who write open-source code, publish software interfaces, or enable access to decentralized networks are builders of neutral infrastructure. They are not custodians, brokers, or middlemen.
Without federal clarity:
- Developers risk prosecution under money-transmission laws they were never meant to fall under.
- Users risk losing the right to self-custody, a core principle of decentralized finance.
- Innovation risks fragmentation, as 50 different state regimes create an unworkable patchwork of laws.
The numbers speak for themselves: the U.S. share of open-source blockchain developers has already dropped from 25% in 2021 to 18% in 2025.
If the U.S. wants to become the global hub for digital assets, it must preserve the freedoms that have historically allowed American innovation to flourish.
Uncertainty doesn’t just stifle innovation. It pushes talent overseas.
Plume’s Policy Position
At Plume, our mission is to unlock the next era of real-world asset tokenization onchain. That mission depends on builders to power this ecosystem.
We believe:
1. Blockchain is Neutral Infrastructure: Technology should not be treated like an intermediary. Developers should not be forced into financial regulatory categories when they don’t control or custody user assets.
2. Self-Custody is a Right: Users must retain the ability to hold and manage their own assets through non-custodial interfaces. This principle underpins both DeFi and Plume’s design.
3. Federal Frameworks Are Essential: A consistent national policy is the only way to provide the clarity that innovators and institutions need to confidently build in the U.S.
Looking Ahead
Plume is building for a future where blockchain innovation thrives alongside smart regulation.
That means working with policymakers, industry partners, and developers to ensure laws are forward-looking, innovation-friendly, and globally competitive.
Our goal here is simple: Protect builders. Empower users.
By signing this letter, we’re reaffirming that Plume’s mission goes beyond technology.
We’re advocating for the legal and policy environment that makes meaningful innovation possible.