Ripple

has opened a new office in Washington, D.C. in a bid to strengthen its advocacy efforts for blockchain and cryptocurrency.

Announced on Tuesday, the blockchain payments technology provider said the new premises near the heart of U.S. government comes alongside expansion of its global regulatory team as it ramps up efforts to educate policymakers on the benefits of the tech.

Amid that expansion, Craig Phillips, a former top aide to U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, has joined Ripple’s board of directors. Phillips, the firm says, will bring "depth" to its policy leadership team and advise on "strategic regulatory opportunities" as the company grows.

Other new members of Ripple's regulatory division include Susan Friedman – a senior adviser to CFTC Chairman Heath Tarbert when he was assistant secretary for International Markets at the Treasury – and Ron Hammond, a former legislative assistant to Rep. Warren Davidson who led the drafting of the Token Taxonomy Act, as reported in September.

Explaining the developments, Ripple said:

Also revealed in today's announcement is that Ripple has become a member​ of the Blockchain Association, an industry body that advocates for blockchain tech and sets out to build relationships between firms building distributed solutions and government.

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse image via CoinDesk archives