State Department launches Freedom Tech Excellence Program with Bitcoin Policy Institute as a founding partner for digital freedom.
The U.S. Department of State has launched a new initiative to bring private sector expertise into its digital freedom work. The Freedom Tech Excellence Program pairs government officials with specialists from technology firms and civil society groups.
Bitcoin Policy Institute confirmed its role as a founding partner in the effort.
The program covers online expression, privacy tools, digital surveillance, and AI governance. Officials frame it as a way to strengthen American diplomacy on censorship and authoritarian control abroad.
What the Freedom Tech Excellence Program Covers
FTEP allows private sector organizations to send employees into the State Department for limited-term assignments.
Participants keep their existing jobs while working alongside senior officials on live diplomatic issues. The program targets areas where the department says it lacks sufficient in-house expertise.
Listed priorities include First Amendment protections in digital spaces and countering unlawful surveillance. Privacy-enhancing technologies such as encryption and VPNs also fall under the program’s scope.
Responsible governance of emerging technologies, including AI, rounds out the stated goals. Child safety online is included as well.
The department describes the arrangement as a two-way exchange. Private sector participants gain direct insight into foreign policy and development work.
In return, the department gains access to specialized technical knowledge it may not otherwise have.
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Bitcoin Policy Institute Joins Founding Partner Consortium
Bitcoin Policy Institute announced its involvement through a post on social media platform X.
The organization said BPI employees will receive assignments to work directly with State Department experts. It described the mission as defending digital freedoms in regions under authoritarian rule.
We are proud to announce that BPI is a founding partner in the @StateDept's new Freedom Tech Excellence Program.
FTEP brings private sector experts like BPI into the State Department to advance diplomatic efforts on key issues including online freedom of expression,… pic.twitter.com/0dVONHuI8A
— Bitcoin Policy Institute (@bitcoinpolicy) July 24, 2026
BPI has argued for years that freedom tech deserves a central place in U.S. foreign policy.
The group points to encryption and open monetary networks as tools that protect dissidents and journalists. It also cites ordinary citizens living under repressive governments as beneficiaries of these technologies.
Other founding partners named in the announcement include Palantir Technologies and Anduril Industries.
The Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation also joins the consortium. The department said it is building out a wider group of tech companies, civil society organizations, and think tanks.
Freedom Tech DC Summit Set for September
Bitcoin Policy Institute announced a related event tied to the program’s launch.
Freedom Tech DC will bring policymakers, builders, and researchers together in Washington. The summit runs September 22 through 23, according to the announcement.
Organizers say the event will address what comes next for freedom tech within U.S. policy circles.
BPI framed the FTEP partnership as an early step in a broader conversation. It said discussions around encryption and monetary networks in foreign policy are just beginning.
The department has not detailed specific assignments or timelines for FTEP participants. It also has not stated how many organizations will ultimately join the consortium.
Further details on the program’s scope may emerge ahead of the September summit.
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