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Alison Mangiero
Executive Director at Proof of Stake Alliance (POSA)
Alison Mangiero is a professional with a diverse background in blockchain technology, political science, and education. She founded the Tocqueville Group (TQ) in 2018, which created open-source software and public goods for one of the first proof-of-stake blockchains.1
Currently, Alison serves as the Executive Director of the Proof of Stake Alliance (POSA), an organization that advocates for clear and forward-thinking public policies in the proof-of-stake industry.13 She took on this role in September 2022.3
Education and Early Career
Alison holds a B.A. in political science and leadership studies with honors from the University of Richmond, and an M.A. (Ph.D. ABD) in political science from Boston College.1 Her academic career includes:
- Instructor of political science at the College of the Holy Cross
- Pre-doctoral fellow in the Department of Leadership and American Studies at Christopher Newport University
- Visiting scholar at the Jepson School of Leadership Studies
Professional Experience
Before founding TQ, Alison ran the Manhattan Institute's Adam Smith Society, growing it from four students at Harvard Business School to over 10,000 students across 30 chapters at top U.S. business schools.1
Most recently, she taught courses on leadership, entrepreneurship, and public policy at the College of the Holy Cross, where she also served as the director of New York City Programs.1
Current Focus
Alison describes herself as a "recovering political scientist" interested in how blockchain technology will drive social, political, and economic innovation.12 She is passionate about the liberal arts and continues to explore the intersection of technology, policy, and leadership.
Personal Life
Alison lives in the New York City suburbs with her husband, Dan Mangiero, and their two young daughters, Lena and Emily.1
Highlights
Big news: today Representatives Drew Ferguson (R-GA) and Wiley Nickel (D-NC) introduced bipartisan legislation to codify the fair tax treatment of digital asset staking and mining (H.R. 8149, the Providing Tax Clarity for Digital Assets Act).
This bill that would affirm what we at Proof of Stake Alliance (POSA) have been fighting for for years: block rewards should be taxed at the time of sale, not at the time of block creation.
This common-sense clarification of existing law confirms that taxpayers are not improperly taxed on their staking or mining rewards, and ensures that tax compliance is administratively feasible for the millions of Americans who participate in these networks.
The bill promotes tax fairness and compliance, eliminates overtaxation, ensures consistent capital gain and loss tax treatment, reduces harm from liquidity constraints, and brings certainty to taxpayers. Importantly, it would supersede recently released IRS guidance, ensuring that there is technology neutral application of existing law and preventing an administrative nightmare for taxpayers and the IRS alike.
It is so important to support members like Rep. Ferguson and Rep. Nickel, who stepped up to lead on this important issue affecting the millions of taxpayers who are participating in blockchain ecosystems. And of course, a big shout out to Abraham Sutherland, Alexander Grieve, Milan Dalal, Josh Jarrett and many others who have worked tirelessly with us on this issue.
I am excited to announce my new role as Executive Director of the Proof of Stake Alliance (POSA). I’ve had the pleasure of being a supporter of and active leader in this innovative organization for the last three years and I’m proud to expand my role. Lots of work to do as staking and proof of stake ecosystems continue to grow!
