State Department Embeds Bitcoin and Defense Tech Experts in New Diplomacy Program
The Freedom Tech Excellence Program integrates private sector specialists into foreign policy operations to counter digital surveillance.
The State Department launched the Freedom Tech Excellence Program (FTEP), a public-private partnership formalizing Bitcoin, encryption, and privacy tools as instruments of foreign policy. Announced July 24, 2026, the initiative embeds experts from founding partners—the Bitcoin Policy Institute, Palantir Technologies, Anduril Industries, and the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation—directly into diplomatic operations.
Unlike traditional hiring, FTEP uses limited-term assignments where private sector personnel operate within the State Department without becoming permanent federal employees. These embeds will focus on shaping diplomacy around digital freedom, counter-surveillance, and responsible AI governance. The program's primary objectives include advancing online freedom of expression, countering digital surveillance, and developing privacy-enhancing technologies.
A Strategic Shift
The program marks a structural shift in how Washington categorizes cryptocurrency. Moving away from viewing Bitcoin solely as a speculative asset to be regulated, the administration now treats it as a "freedom tool" to be promoted abroad to circumvent censorship and financial control by authoritarian regimes. This alignment supports a broader second-term crypto agenda, including an executive order signed March 6, 2025, establishing a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve funded by approximately 200,000 seized BTC. The Bitcoin Policy Institute was established in 2021 to engage in U.S. policy research.
David Zell, Co-President of the Bitcoin Policy Institute, stated the partnership will let the institute contribute to diplomatic efforts around digital freedom. To further these goals, the Institute is hosting a Freedom Tech DC summit on September 22-23, 2026.
By treating Bitcoin as a geopolitical asset, the U.S. may encourage global adoption as a tool for digital liberty while signaling a more bullish institutional stance on the asset's utility beyond financial speculation.