CS7: From Big Law to Crypto Policy | Jonathan "Birdnals" Schmalfeld
This episode was recorded live at Consensus Miami 2026.
Jonathan Schmalfeld — known as 'Birdnals' across Crypto Twitter — is Policy Director at The Digital Chamber. He came up doing soft IP litigation, got into crypto around 2015, and eventually turned what he was doing for fun into his full-time work.
We cover the NFT IP moment, what it takes to be a real Web3 lawyer, the knowledge-sharing culture that makes this community unique, and how he went from associate at a major law firm to advocating for the industry in front of Congress and regulators.
---
This episode is sponsored by FirstRead…
The skinny
The skinny isn't ready yet — notes appear once the transcript is processed.