Square Adds Bitcoin Policy Lead From US Chamber of Commerce

Julie Stitzel, the former vice president at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Center for Capital Markets Competitiveness, has joined payments startup Square as a bitcoin policy expert.

Stitzel started Monday as the bitcoin policy lead at Square's Cash App, a spokesperson said Tuesday. She was previously part of the U.S. Chamber's Technology Engagement Center, where she represented the trade organization before Congress, and senior manager for federal advocacy and policy at Etsy.

"Julie will advise teams within Cash App on the evolving bitcoin policy sphere, will help Square advance our strategic and long-term thinking on crypto issues and will help drive education and engagement with outside parties who work in this space," the Square spokesperson said via email.

Square, one of the two companies founded and led by Twitter creator Jack Dorsey, has been getting more involved with the bitcoin sector over the past few years. Its Cash App payments app allows users to buy or sell bitcoin, and the company recently produced a report claiming that increased bitcoin mining might incentivize the use of renewable energy sources.

Square itself has a substantial amount of bitcoin on its balance sheet, having bought over 8,000 BTC between last October and this past February. As of press time, Square's bitcoin holdings are worth a little over $441 million.

Zack Seward contributed reporting.