MX · Global Policy × Emerging Technology

Building policies for a world shaped by AI and blockchain.

I'm Mariana Carmona — a strategy consultant and policymaker operating at the intersection of emerging technology, public policy and business. I understand technology deeply enough to help architect it, governance policy well enough to build compliant applications, and business well enough to make it viable and competitive.

20+years across the full policy cycle
3blockchain, DeFi & policy research articles published by renowned editors
AI · Blockchain · Policycore areas of practice
3working languages: EN, FR, ES
01 Why hire me

Most consultants know one world. I operate at the intersection of three.

Public sector, private industry and emerging technology each speak a different language. My value is translation and holistic visualization.

Traditional governance was not designed for technologies that act autonomously, transact instantly and evolve continuously. I shape policy and regulatory frameworks for the AI and blockchain era, while architecting governance mechanisms that can operate at the speed and scale of human–machine systems. Where conventional structures no longer carry over, I translate technological, institutional and regulatory risks into new governance architectures and practical strategies that boards and policymakers can act on.

Institutional fluency for the AI and blockchain era

Eight years advising blue-chip companies in public affairs and lobbying, more than five consultancy engagements for international organisations, and an early career in Mexico's federal government taught me how institutions actually make decisions. Since 2019, my work in blockchain, AI and digital governance has given me a deep understanding of how these technologies are transforming markets, public authority and human coordination. I combine both perspectives to shape next-generation policy and institutional frameworks that are politically credible, technologically informed and ready to implement.

Frontier-tech depth

Architect of on-chain governance institutions. Proven applied research and deliverables executives actually use — dApp design and AI-shaped solutions, delivered with precision and speed in fast-moving environments.

02 Services

Four ways to engage me.

Every engagement connects public-policy judgement, institutional design and technical understanding — turning complex emerging-technology challenges into strategies that organisations can confidently adopt and execute.

Blockchain & Agentic AI Applications

  • Use-case strategy: Identify where AI and blockchain can solve a concrete business or government problem.
  • AI workflow prototypes: Design agentic workflows that automate analysis, coordination and decision support.
  • On-chain systems: Architect applications that strengthen transparency, provenance, accountability and trust.
  • Production-ready governance: Develop the policy, risk and governance frameworks needed to move beyond the demo stage.
  • Token and RWA strategy: Advise on token design and real-world-asset tokenisation when it creates genuine organisational value.

Digital Institutional Architecture for SEZs and Special Jurisdictions

  • Jurisdiction strategy: Define the institutional model for a technology-enabled SEZ, special jurisdiction or e-jurisdiction.
  • Regulatory and feasibility architecture: Integrate legal design with financial viability, operational requirements and implementation planning.
  • Digital public infrastructure: Architect one-stop shops, company and resident registries, identity systems, resident toolkits, and more.
  • On-chain legal structures: Design compliant digital analogues of trusts, foundation companies, special-purpose vehicles and other asset-holding structures.
  • Implementation pathways: Translate legal structures and public services into deployable digital and on-chain systems.
  • Proven experience: Apply lessons from designing a blockchain-enabled SEZ, on-chain registries, digital companies and automated trust structures.

Emerging Technology Policy & Advocacy Strategy

  • Legislative and regulatory strategy: Assess how policy affects blockchain, digital assets, AI and tokenised markets — and identify where existing frameworks must evolve.
  • Policy design and management: Develop initiatives from problem diagnosis and feasibility through implementation and evaluation.
  • Regulatory impact and feasibility: Evaluate the economic, institutional and operational consequences of proposed policies and regulations.
  • Political and stakeholder strategy: Map decision-makers, interests, influence and potential alliances across government and industry.

Emerging-Technology Governance & Institutional Assessment

  • Governance policy: Determine whether a blockchain, AI or digital institution is accountable, resilient and viable in practice.
  • Decision and incentive design: Assess authority, decision rights, participation rules, incentives and accountability mechanisms.
  • Feasibility and risk: Identify governance failures, regulatory conflicts, implementation barriers and institutional vulnerabilities.
  • Institutional readiness and impact: Evaluate organisational capacity and the potential socioeconomic effects of implementation.
  • Measurement frameworks: Develop theories of change, logical frameworks, performance indicators and fit-for-purpose evaluation mechanisms.
  • Emerging-technology ecosystems: Apply these methods to DAOs, on-chain institutions, AI-agent systems and technology-enabled public programmes.
03 Selected work

Engagements that moved from ideas to reality.

Jul 2026 – Present
Kokomo Labs

Governance infrastructure for agentic payments

As Blockchain Unit Lead at Kokomo Labs — a startup developing governance infrastructure for autonomous economic activity — I am developing a governance platform for AI agents, translating emerging standards into concrete modules and product-design choices.

agentic paymentsstablecoinsgovernance infrastructure
2022 – 2026
Institute of Free Technology

Blockchain-based Special Economic Zone — from zero to business plan

As Emerging Projects Lead at the Institute of Free Technology, I led the institutional and feasibility design of blockchain-enabled special jurisdictions and on-chain governance infrastructure, translating ambitious concepts into implementable on-chain analogues. I now apply this experience to help governments, zone developers and institutional innovators move from vision to deployable digital-jurisdiction infrastructure.

SEZ designon-chain registriesgovernance frameworks
2022 – Present
ITAM · FintechU

Lecturer in digital assets & blockchain

I designed an executive-level course on digital assets and blockchain applications at ITAM, and a 42-hour programme on digital assets and blockchain within FintechU's MSc in Neobanks, Fintech and Blockchain.

executive educationdigital assetsblockchain
Jul – Dec 2022
Messari Inc.

Digital-asset and token-economics research

As Token Analyst, I conducted analytical research on digital assets, protocols and token economics, producing structured exhaustive token profiles.

token economicsdigital assetsresearch
Aug – Sep 2022
Probity Ledgers, Inc.

Market research & NFT strategy for a metaverse digital venture

Prepared U.S. market competitor research, market sizing, and the NFT strategy.

market researchpitch deck
Jun – Sep 2021
Kaiju Capital Management

Analytical frameworks for digital-asset assessment

As a Token Analyst, I developed methodologies and organised technical knowledge resources for a digital-asset trading desk.

digital-asset frameworksknowledge management
2013 – 2021
Crossing & Public Affairs

Eight years in lobbying and public affairs as Chief Economist

Legislative, regulatory and economic assessments, political-actor mapping and strategic narratives for 10+ national and international clients across pharma, energy, telecom, big tech and more — including scenario planning and agenda positioning.

lobbyingregulatory strategyscenario planning
04 Thought leadership

Published, cited, and invited to the stage.

Internationally published author and speaker at policy, academic and technology forums on blockchain governance, digital institutions and emerging-technology policy.

Social Institutions in the Era of Blockchain-Based Governance

Logos Press Engine, 2026.

DeFi: the end of the financial inclusion gap in developing countries?

Dr. Henrik Cronqvist-Ed. Coordinator. E-Elgar Publishing, 2024.

Blockchain & DeFi in the post-Covid EU: the circular economy case

Book chapter, IGI Global, 2022 — co-authored with a member of the European Blockchain Council.

Why the EU Needs Special Economic Zones to Unlock Its Digital Future

The Free Cities Foundation.

Blockchain Tokenisation in Grant Management

Book chapter, IGI Global, 2021 - co-authored with the Managing Director of the Digital Euro Association

Co-chair of Non-financial use cases TLG Group — Blockchain for Europe

Contributing to EU regulatory discussions on web3, tech sovereignty and open source code.

Newsletter

The Institutional Frontiers

My Substack on special jurisdictions and emerging technologies. I analyse the policy questions raised by AI and blockchain technology. Designed for those who build and regulate what comes next.

Subscribe on Substack
05 Credentials

Trained for rigor. Retrained for the frontier.

AI & Machine LearningPostgraduate Certificate, McCombs School of Business, University of Texas at Austin — GPA 4.17/5.00, ranked 24th in a cohort of 100.
MSc Blockchain & Digital CurrenciesUniversity of Nicosia, Cyprus — Cum Laude, Proficiency Scholarship, Dean's List honorific mention.
Economics & Public PolicyBA in Economics and MSc studies in Public Policy, ITAM, Mexico. Honorific mention, National Public Finance Research Contest, Chamber of Deputies (2018).

Languages: English · French · Spanish  |  Programming languages: Python · SQL · Solidity  |  Tools: Mermaid · Notion · Miro

06 Contact

Tell me what you're building — or what's blocking you.

Building for the AI and blockchain era? Let’s turn your policy, tech-governance or jurisdictional challenge into an actionable strategy. The first conversation is complimentary. Your message comes directly to my inbox.

mobile / +52 55 2560 7024