Kansas State Legislature recently received pivotal testimony on digital assets, blockchain technology, and cryptocurrency regulation from two senior executives of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). On October 24, 2025, Jake Morabito, ALEC’s Senior Director of Communications and Technology Task Force, and Alan Jernigan, Director of ALEC’s Commerce, Insurance, and Economic Development Task Force, provided expert insights to the Special Committee on Commerce during a legislative session in Topeka, Kansas.
Both Morabito and Jernigan, representing ALEC’s commitment to promoting limited government, free markets, and federalism through state-level legislative action, outlined strategic approaches and model policies designed to help states foster innovation in the fast-evolving digital economy sector, particularly around cryptocurrencies and blockchain applications.
Alan Jernigan opened the testimony by emphasizing ALEC’s role as a nonpartisan organization that unites state legislators nationwide to share research and policy guidance. He highlighted two ALEC model policies developed by the Commerce, Insurance, and Economic Development Task Force, aimed at providing states with a robust yet flexible framework to regulate digital assets prudently without stifling entrepreneurship or innovation.
“Kansas has already done phenomenal work promoting responsible entrepreneurship and innovation,” Jernigan remarked, urging the committee to leverage ALEC’s proven, “light-touch, harms-based approach” to regulation that balances technological advancement with consumer protection. He underscored the opportunity for Kansas to become a leader in the burgeoning digital assets and artificial intelligence marketplace, securing economic vitality for the next century.
Jake Morabito supplemented these remarks by addressing technical dimensions of blockchain and cryptocurrency, detailing how emerging digital asset markets interact with traditional commerce systems. His testimony included ALEC’s recommendations on fostering state-level frameworks supportive of innovation while mitigating risks posed by bad actors in the crypto ecosystem.
The joint testimony was part of ALEC’s broader initiative to assist states navigating the challenge of regulating novel technologies such as digital currencies and blockchain infrastructure. ALEC’s approach centers on promoting free-market principles combined with minimal effective regulation to enable growth while protecting consumers and economic stability.
This session in Kansas is aligned with a series of engagements nationwide where ALEC experts advise lawmakers on model legislation that can be adopted or adapted to local contexts. The recorded testimony is available to the public and has been cited in several local news outlets including WIBW News for its insightful overview of balancing innovation with governance in digital asset policy.
The Kansas legislature’s Special Committee on Commerce will now consider ALEC’s framework alongside other inputs to refine their approach to cryptocurrency oversight, digital asset trading standards, and blockchain technology deployment within the state.
As states like Kansas engage with these complex and rapidly developing issues, ALEC’s testimony serves as a valuable resource for policymakers seeking to remain competitive in the digital economy while safeguarding consumers and supporting economic development.