Today, the Crypto Council for Innovation (CCI) is announcing the acquisition of the Digital Energy Council (DEC), the first member association focused solely on digital energy policy.
This acquisition brings together CCI’s deep expertise in digital asset policy and advocacy with DEC’s pioneering work at the intersection of energy security, digital asset mining, and related technologies.
Under CCI, the Digital Energy Council will operate as a dedicated working group focused on advancing policies that promote energy development, grid resilience, U.S. competitiveness, and national security. Hunter Budd, the Interim Executive Director of DEC, will help lead the integration process to ensure a seamless transition of DEC’s advocacy and operations into the broader CCI framework.
The acquisition comes at a pivotal moment. As demand for energy grows alongside the expansion of digital asset mining, AI data centers, and other compute-intensive technologies, the need for a unified, credible voice advocating for smart energy policy has never been greater. Data centers alone already make up nearly 5% of U.S. electricity use, and this is expected to more than double in the next five years. Additionally, global data-center power demand is predicted to rise as much as 165% within the next ten years. Now, CCI is uniquely positioned to advance constructive energy policy solutions, given its track record of engaging with policymakers, regulators, and industry leaders globally on the most consequential issues facing digital assets and related technologies.
“Energy is foundational to the future of digital assets and blockchain technology. By bringing the Digital Energy Council into CCI, we are ensuring that the industry has a unified, authoritative voice on the critical policy issues at the intersection of energy and digital innovation. From grid resilience to responsible mining practices to the role of digital assets in energy modernization, this is a natural extension of CCI’s mission. We are excited to welcome the DEC community to CCI,” said Ji Hun Kim, Chief Executive Officer, CCI.
“The Digital Energy Council was founded on the belief that digital asset mining and energy development need to work together to strengthen America’s energy infrastructure. Joining CCI gives this mission a global platform, deeper collaboration with and access to increased subject matter expertise, and an amplified voice in the policy conversations that matter most. I look forward to integrating this work at CCI and ensuring that energy remains front and center in the digital asset policy agenda,” said Hunter Budd, Interim Executive Director, Digital Energy Council.
“We welcome the Digital Energy Council to CCI. It is an important step toward greater coordination across the digital asset and energy ecosystem. Bringing leading voices together will strengthen industry engagement with policymakers and reinforce a shared commitment to grid resilience, responsible energy development, and U.S. technological leadership. This partnership will help advance practical, evidence-based policies that support innovation, economic growth, and long-term energy security. Block has long been proud to be both a CCI board member and a founding member of the DEC as we innovate advanced ASIC-based technology that improves efficiency, reliability, and uptime in large-scale data centers, and help decentralize the bitcoin mining industry,” said Amanda Anderson, Head of Global Public Policy & Government Relations, Block.
“CleanSpark wholeheartedly supports the acquisition of Digital Energy Council and CCI as a natural and necessary evolution for our industry. As a founding member of the DEC, we have long believed that a unified voice is essential to advancing policies that support innovation, energy reliability, and American leadership in digital infrastructure. This combined organization will be a stronger advocate for the evidence-based, pro-growth policies that our industry, the grid, and our country needs at this technological inflection point,” said Margeaux Plaisted, Vice President of Policy and Government Relations, CleanSpark.
“Bringing the Digital Energy Council into CCI reflects the growing convergence of energy policy and digital infrastructure. Demand for high-density, AI-ready data center capacity is unprecedented. Galaxy is scaling to meet that demand and provide reliable infrastructure for leading AI companies. A coordinated, policy-forward approach is essential to maintaining U.S. competitiveness while advancing responsible energy development,” said Natalia Li, Head of Policy, Galaxy.
