Kast hires former SEC communications official as it expands policy operations

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Kast hires SEC comms official

Highlights

Kast appoints former SEC official Stephanie Allen as head of corporate and policy communications to support its growth and regulatory engagement following its $80 million fundraise and $600 million valuation.
Stablecoin sector shows mixed signals as transfer volume drops 19% to $8.31 trillion in the past month, but total market capitalization rises 2.06% to $305.29 billion.
Fidelity’s Q2 Signals Report notes Ethereum stablecoin transfer values top $18 trillion over the past 12 months, highlighting ongoing demand for stablecoins in payments and onchain dollar access.

Expansion plans and leadership hire

As reported by Kast, the company has appointed former U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission communications official Stephanie Allen as head of corporate and policy communications, where she will work with senior leadership on policy and messaging. Kast says the role supports its next phase of growth and regulatory engagement as it moves toward a broader financial services footprint.

Allen previously served as acting director of the SEC’s Office of Public Affairs and also held senior media relations and speechwriting roles at the agency. Kast says she also advised the SEC’s Crypto Task Force, although that role does not appear in Allen’s public SEC biography.

Brad Jaffe, KAST’s chief corporate affairs officer, says Allen’s policy and regulatory experience will help support the company’s momentum. The hire follows Kast’s $80 million fundraise more than a month ago, which valued the company at $600 million.

Kast offers payment cards and U.S. dollar-denominated accounts to users in more than 150 countries, and it plans to add savings and remittance products through its neobank interface. The company is also preparing to launch Kast Business as it pushes deeper into business accounts and cross-border payments.

Stablecoin sector growth faces mixed activity signals

The appointment reflects a broader trend among stablecoin companies, which are adding policy and communications staff as they move closer to regulated financial services and expand across multiple jurisdictions. For companies operating in compliance-heavy markets, leadership with regulatory experience is becoming more central to growth plans.

Recent market data points to mixed momentum in the stablecoin segment. Stablecoin transfer volume drops 19% to $8.31 trillion over the past month, while total market capitalization rises 2.06% to $305.29 billion over the same period, according to data from RWA.xyz cited in reporting on Tuesday.

That pattern suggests the value held in dollar-denominated stablecoins is increasing even as onchain activity cools. At the same time, Fidelity’s Q2 Signals Report says Ethereum stablecoin transfer values recently exceed historical averages, with the past 12 months topping $18 trillion, indicating continued use for payments, settlement and onchain access to U.S. dollars.

Data provider Allium says stablecoin transfer volume reaches a record $1.8 trillion in February. Even with softer recent transaction activity, the sector continues to attract investment and senior hires tied to regulation, infrastructure and cross-border payments.

Our previous coverage of the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act explained that negotiations were nearing a Senate Banking Committee hearing after delays tied to disputes over stablecoin rewards. We noted that Senator Thom Tillis said revisions had addressed key banking-sector concerns, though remaining provisions and a tight 2026 calendar could still complicate the bill’s path.

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