The United States Department of State announced the creation of the Freedom Tech Excellence Program (FTEP), an initiative that will bring together private sector experts to collaborate on projects related to foreign policy and the promotion of digital freedom. Among the program's founding partners is the Bitcoin Policy Institute (BPI), alongside Palantir Technologies, Anduril Industries, and the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation.
According to the U.S. government, the program will function as a talent exchange, allowing professionals from companies and organizations to work temporarily on initiatives led by the Department of State. The proposal is to expand the agency's technical capacity on issues considered strategic to United States international policy.
According to the Bitcoin Policy Institute, the organization's participation will be focused on issues related to freedom of expression on the internet, digital privacy, and artificial intelligence governance.
"The FTEP brings private sector experts, such as BPI, to the Department of State in order to advance diplomatic efforts on key issues, including online freedom of expression, privacy-enhancing technologies, combating digital surveillance, and responsible AI governance," the Bitcoin Policy Institute said on Friday on X.
Among the activities planned for participants are the development of initiatives aimed at protecting First Amendment principles in the digital environment, combating electronic surveillance and online scams, as well as encouraging the use of privacy-focused technologies. The program also includes debates on the responsible use of artificial intelligence at the international level.
In a statement, the Department of State said that the initiative will make it possible to incorporate specialized knowledge in areas in which the government is still seeking to expand its technical expertise.
"Private sector participants gain first-hand insights into foreign policy and development, while at the same time contributing their specialized skills in new and emerging areas where the Department may not have sufficient internal expertise," the Department of State wrote.
The selected professionals will remain affiliated with their originating organizations throughout the entire participation period. According to the government, the roles will be for a fixed term and do not represent a path to permanent hiring in the federal civil service.
The creation of the program comes during the term of current United States President Donald Trump, whose administration keeps cryptocurrencies among the priorities of economic and technological policy. Since the beginning of the term, several measures have been implemented with the goal of positioning the country as a global reference in the sector, including the creation of a strategic reserve of Bitcoin and a national cryptocurrency stockpile formed by assets seized in criminal proceedings.
Founded in 2021, the Bitcoin Policy Institute is a nonpartisan, nonprofit think tank dedicated to the development of public policies related to Bitcoin. The organization operates through research, educational programs, and dialogue with U.S. lawmakers. The institution is currently chaired by David Zell.