The largest players in decentralized finance have united to counter the influence of centralized crypto companies on political processes in the USA. A new alliance called the Ethereum Protocol Advocacy Alliance (#EPAA ) aims to promote the interests of Ethereum and convey the real structure of the ecosystem to lawmakers.
Why does the DeFi community need an alliance?
The founders of the EPAA stated that the creation of the association was a response to the ‘disproportionate influence’ of centralized players on the formation of crypto policy. According to them, it distorts the perception of the technologies and principles on which blockchain infrastructure is built.
«This disproportion often led to the values and technologies of the on-chain infrastructure being misunderstood or ignored,» the alliance's statement said.
The EPAA includes key DeFi projects: Aave Labs, Aragon, Curve, Lido Labs Foundation, Spark Foundation, The Graph Foundation, and Uniswap Foundation.
Together, these protocols ensure the security of assets totaling over $100 billion, operating completely decentralized and without intermediaries.
«Relying on our practical and technical experience, we will advocate for on-chain solutions to regulatory challenges,» the representatives of the alliance noted.
Support for the Ethereum Foundation
The EPAA also received support from the Ethereum Foundation. One of its directors, Tomas Stančík, emphasized that the foundation welcomes the ‘initiative to coordinate community efforts in political interaction.’
Such approval gives additional weight to the project — especially against the backdrop of increasing pressure on decentralized protocols from regulators.
Response to centralized lobbyists
The creation of the EPAA was a reaction to the increased lobbying presence of centralized crypto giants. In the last election cycle in the USA, the largest political organization in the history of the crypto industry was launched — Fairshake PAC, founded by a16z, Coinbase, and Ripple.
Fairshake raised $260 million and spent nearly $196 million to promote its initiatives. These funds were used to influence legislative processes and support candidates advocating for ‘human-centric regulation.’
The EPAA aims to balance this imbalance and restore the voice of decentralized projects in dialogue with the state.
How the alliance will operate
In its plan, the EPAA highlights four key areas of interaction with politicians:
Technical expertise — providing legislators with accurate data on the functioning of protocols.
Pragmatic materials — preparing clear explanations of complex technological issues.
Strategic communication — coordinating efforts to expand outreach and convey a common position.
Common initiatives — finding points of intersection between the technical interests of the industry and politics.
Thus, the alliance is betting not on pressure but on systematic educational work.
Ethereum strengthens the ecosystem
Meanwhile, the Ethereum ecosystem itself is undergoing a wave of updates. The foundation recently revised its grant program, making it more selective and focused on strategic development areas.
In addition, at the end of October, the website institutions.ethereum.org was launched, designed to simplify the entry of institutional participants into the ecosystem. This is another step towards closer interaction between Ethereum and traditional organizations.
Against the backdrop of these initiatives, the EPAA alliance could become an important link between developers, users, and lawmakers. It will give Ethereum not only technical but also political representation — something that decentralized projects have long been deprived of.
What next?
If the EPAA manages to establish a dialogue with regulators, the DeFi sector will have a chance to shape its own agenda, independent of the interests of centralized corporations.
Ethereum, remaining the largest platform for decentralized applications, is strengthening its position — now not only in technologies but also in the political arena.
