On March 18, it was reported that the number of firms that are lobbying federal U.S. lawmakers in Washington, DC about issues relating to both cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology almost tripled last year. In 2017, there were only a dozen entities in Washington lobbying lawmakers about cryptocurrencies and blockchain-related issues. But last year the number of these entities rose to 33. Jerry Brito, who is the executive director of a nonprofit organization called the Coin Center, said that the growth of industry lobbyists was related to securities regulations. His firm has been known to work with both Darren Soto (D-FL) and Warren Davidson (R-OH), who are both known to have positive views about cryptocurrencies. Earlier this year, Soto made news when he said that the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) should not regulate most digital currencies. Instead, Soto believes that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Commodities and Futures Trading Commission should be responsible for overseeing the currencies. Interestingly, blockchain-related companies that are operating outside of the sphere of digital currencies are reportedly having more problems developing relationships with U.S. lawmakers than their counterparts. Dina Ellis Rochkind, who works as a lobbyist, says that these types of companies are only in the early stages of gaining support from lawmakers. Izzy Klein, who works for the Klein/Johnson Group — which is a lobbyist that is backed by a Ripple-led coalition of fintech companies — said that, when new technologies and platforms arrive in existing and heavily regulating spaces, the companies behind these technologies and platforms need all the help they can get from lobbyists. In 2018, a group of companies launched the Blockchain Association, which was the first lobbying organization specifically supporting the blockchain industry. This group includes leading digital currency exchange Coinbase, Protocol Labs, Polychain Capital and the Digital Currency Group. The organization represents both investors and entrepreneurs who are involved with blockchain-related projects. Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), who is the Republican Minority Leader in the House of Representatives, has recently said that blockchain technology could make Congress more transparent and efficient. He further called the technology revolutionary.