The Jito Foundation announces its return to US operations following changes in federal digital asset regulation and the departure of former SEC chair Gary Gensler.
The Jito Foundation recently announced it will return its core operations to the US as a result of the federal government’s shifting approach to digital asset regulation.
Originally founded in 2021, Jito Labs launched the Jito Foundation, a body that manages the Jito DAO and governance token, in 2023 with registration in the Cayman Islands. According to Jito Labs co-founder and CEO Lucas Bruder, “American crypto founders were pushed offshore” by the previous administration.
In a Dec. 17 post thread on X.com, Bruder claimed that during Operation Chokepoint 2.0, banks and vendors wouldn’t work with their firm. “Every product decision carried real but unquantifiable legal risk from a hostile and capricious regulatory agency gone rogue.”
After over a year of in-the-trenches policy work from Jito and a decade of lobbying and education from industry allies, we are bringing core Jito Foundation operations back to the U.S. 🇺🇸
Jito is coming home, and we’re throwing a party to celebrate. pic.twitter.com/60kOHbSftT
— buffalu (@buffalu__) December 17, 2025
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The Jito Foundation cited the changing of the guard at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) when former head Gary Gensler stepped down in November 2024 and the enshrinement of the GENIUS Act in July 2025 as the catalysts for the firm’s return.
The Jito Foundation hasn’t given a specific date of return, though a Dec. 17 press release does refer to a celebratory event to be held in Washington DC on Jan. 8, 2026.
The foundation’s return was, however, at least somewhat predictable. Back in August 2025, Jito filed an S-1 form with the SEC to register a JitoSOL ETF. While it’s not technically impossible to get an ETF approved in the US without having a strong US presence, full eligibility is typically only available to US-based organizations.
In its return, Jito joins a prestigious list of former exiles and outsiders who’ve chosen 2025 as the year to reenter the US regulatory environment. Polygon Labs, Circle, Galaxy Digital, Coinbase, and Binance had each been forced to conduct at least some of their cryptocurrency operations offshore under the previous White House regime.
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