The Bitcoin Policy Institute (BPI) has become a founding partner of the U.S. State Department’s Free Technology Excellence Program, giving the organization a direct role inside the department through time-limited staff placements working alongside diplomats.
BPI said Friday that it had joined the program as one of its founding partners. In a post on X, the group said it would participate with Palantir Technologies, Anduril Industries and the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation. Under the arrangement, staff from those partner organizations will enter the State Department on limited appointments and work on issues tied to digital freedom, privacy-enhancing technology, countering digital surveillance and AI governance.
What the State Department program covers
In its official description, the State Department says the Free Technology Excellence Program is meant to advance diplomatic efforts around digital freedom and freedom of expression. The initiative brings in private-sector talent through short-term appointments to support work at regional embassies and the department’s Washington headquarters.
The issues listed in the report include:
- online freedom of expression
- privacy-enhancing technologies
- countering digital surveillance
- responsible AI governance
BPI expands beyond policy advocacy
BPI was founded in 2021 and describes itself as a nonpartisan research and advocacy organization. Since its launch, the institute has pushed legislative efforts aimed at placing Bitcoin within U.S. national strategy. The report says that included support for an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in March 2025 that called for establishing a strategic cryptocurrency reserve.
At the same time, related legislation has not yet been completed in Congress. Against that backdrop, participation in the Free Technology Excellence Program gives BPI another path to influence policy, moving beyond lobbying in Washington to placing personnel inside the State Department itself.
Digital policy moves deeper into government channels
The report notes that this is not the first time the U.S. government has brought in outside expertise for digital policy work. In December 2024, the U.S. Treasury Department issued a draft executive proposal for a Bitcoin strategic reserve that described BTC as a “permanent national asset.” The State Department program adds another layer by making digital freedom part of its diplomatic agenda.
The partner lineup also spans different areas of expertise. Palantir is associated with data analysis, Anduril with defense technology, and BPI with Bitcoin policy. Their inclusion in the same program points to a broader push by the State Department to define digital freedom through multiple policy and technology tracks.