In this episode of The Get Down: Beyond Bitcoin, host Cleve Mesidor sits down with Nilmini Rubin, Chief Policy Officer at Hedera and a seasoned Washington insider. With a career spanning the White House National Security Council, the U.S. Senate, and tech giants like Meta, Nilmini brings an elite policy perspective to the digital asset frontier. The conversation dives deep into how her background in global infrastructure and international finance shapes her work at Hedera, why enterprise-grade adoption is key to the network's decentralized vision, and what the shifting regulatory landscape means for crypto innovation through 2026 and beyond.

All Things Butterscotch

Host Cleve Mesidor shares an exciting milestone for the expanding Butterscotch Media universe: FinTech TV Partnership: The Get Down Beyond Bitcoin is officially bringing its high-impact conversations to FinTech TV’s newly launched podcast network, broadening its reach to an entirely new audience of financial innovators and digital asset leaders.

Interview with Nilmini Rubin (Chief Policy Officer at Hedera)

• The Power Africa Connection: Nilmini describes how drafting the bipartisan Electrify Africa Act during her time on Capitol Hill opened her eyes to how energy constraints stifle local economies—and how Hedera’s ultra-low energy footprint ultimately drew her into the layer-1 ecosystem.
• Invisible Ubiquity: A breakdown of the big announcements from HederaCon in Miami, highlighting the new "Clipper" protocol innovation designed to pass information seamlessly across networks and foster true cross-chain interoperability.
• Enterprise Over Pilots: Inside Hedera's unique 39-member governing council and its major institutional additions—including FedEx utilizing the chain for tracking supply chains, alongside Accenture and McLaren Racing.
• Sizing Up the Shifting Bills: A real-time analysis of the Clarity Act moving through Senate Banking and Agriculture committees, and a look back at why the Genius Act proves bipartisan consensus is highly achievable on Capitol Hill.
• The 2026 Tax & Rulemaking Frontier: Why the conversation is quickly pivoting toward international tax parity with regions like the UK and Europe, alongside an inside look at the SEC and CFTC’s joint interpretation explicitly designating HBAR as a digital commodity.
• Leading with Learning: How her board position at the Blockchain Foundation guides local congressional briefings (featuring Reps. Young Kim and Joyce Beatty) to humanize Web3 policy and meet lawmakers exactly where they are.
• The Fountain of Youth: Nilmini drops her ultimate work-life balance hack—she is a competitive adult figure skater—explaining how she adapts sports psychology and rigorous muscle-memory routines to the frantic pace of 24/7 crypto regulation.

About Nilmini Rubin, Chief Policy Officer, Hedera

Nilmini Rubin has over 20 years experience in international technology, energy, and democracy policy and is Chief Policy Officer at Hedera. Previously, she lobbied on cybersecurity for the Information Technology Industry Council and contributed to Meta’s policy team.

Nilmini led Tetra Tech’s global division implementing energy and internet projects that resulted in millions of people gaining access to electricity. She served as a senior aide at the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee and U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee where she spearheaded passage of legislation to provide electricity access in Africa, increase global internet access, and reduce corruption. As a Director at the White House’s National Security Council, Nilmini helped secure agreements on non-proliferation, international health, and foreign aid.

She was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and an advisor to the Women's Democracy Network.

Links from the episode

CONNECT WITH NILMINI RUBIN:

X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/nilminirubin

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nilminirubin

CONNECT WITH HEDERA:

Website:https://hedera.com

X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/hedera

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hedera-network

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Website: butterscotch.media

FinTech TV Network: https://fintech.tv/category/the-get-down-podcast-series/

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