Brian Knight
- Senior Research Fellow, Director of Innovation and Governance
Brian Knight is the Director of Innovation and Governance and a Senior Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.
Brian’s research focuses on numerous aspects of financial regulation, including the creation of pro-innovation regulatory environments, the role of federalism in fintech regulation, the use of digital assets for financial transactions, the role of regulation for credit markets and consumer protection, and the provision of capital to businesses.
Prior to joining Mercatus, Brian worked for the Milken Institute, where he headed up the FinTech and Capital Access programs. He has experience working for a broker-dealer with a focus on the emerging online private-placement market and was the co-founder of CrowdCheck, a company providing due-diligence and disclosure services to companies and intermediaries engaged in online private offerings.
Brian received his law degree from the University of Virginia and his bachelor’s degree from the College of William and Mary.
Latest Work
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Debate Season Is Here | FinRegRag
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Don’t Whitewash the History of Bank Regulators’ Abusive Practices | American Banker
- | Financial Markets Financial Markets
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Bank of America, the FBI, and the Question of Financial Privacy (Part 4) | FinRegRag
- | Financial Markets Financial Markets
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Bank of America, the FBI, and the Question of Financial Privacy (Part 3) | FinRegRag
- | Financial Markets Financial Markets
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Some Questions for Chair Powell | FinRegRag
- | Financial Markets Financial Markets
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Building a Financial System That Enables Abundance | Discourse
- | Financial Markets Financial Markets
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Building a Financial System That Enables Abundance | Discourse
- | Financial Markets Financial Markets
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
There Are Far Too Many Unanswered Questions About SVB’s Failure | American Banker
Latest Work
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Debate Season Is Here | FinRegRag
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Don’t Whitewash the History of Bank Regulators’ Abusive Practices | American Banker
- | Financial Markets Financial Markets
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Bank of America, the FBI, and the Question of Financial Privacy (Part 4) | FinRegRag
- | Financial Markets Financial Markets
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Bank of America, the FBI, and the Question of Financial Privacy (Part 3) | FinRegRag
- | Financial Markets Financial Markets
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Some Questions for Chair Powell | FinRegRag
- | Financial Markets Financial Markets
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Building a Financial System That Enables Abundance | Discourse
- | Financial Markets Financial Markets
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Building a Financial System That Enables Abundance | Discourse
- | Financial Markets Financial Markets
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
There Are Far Too Many Unanswered Questions About SVB’s Failure | American Banker
Latest Work
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
POLICY SPOTLIGHT: Fintech Sandboxes
- | Financial Markets Financial Markets
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
Relief Fund Allocation Is No Place to Play Politics
- | Financial Markets Financial Markets
- | Working Papers Working Papers
The Sandbox Paradox: Balancing the Need to Facilitate Innovation with the Risk of Regulatory Privilege
- | Financial Markets Financial Markets
- | Working Papers Working Papers
Private Policies and Public Power
- | Financial Markets Financial Markets
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
POLICY SPOTLIGHT: Fintech Lending
- | Financial Markets Financial Markets
- | Data Visualizations Data Visualizations
Small Business Capital Access
- | Financial Markets Financial Markets
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
Modernizing Financial Technology Regulations to Facilitate a National Market
- | Financial Markets Financial Markets
- | Working Papers Working Papers
Federalism and Federalization on the Fintech Frontier
- | Financial Markets Financial Markets
- | Book Chapters Book Chapters
Federalism and FinTech
- | Financial Markets Financial Markets
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
Risks to Innovative Credit Posed by Emerging Regulatory and Litigation Trends
Latest Work
- | Monetary Policy Monetary Policy
- | Mercatus Original Podcasts Mercatus Original Podcasts
- | Macro Musings Macro Musings
Brian Knight on the Politicization of Finance

- | Podcast Appearance Podcast Appearance
Brian Knight on Woke Capitalism | The Great Antidote
- | Financial Markets Financial Markets
- | Mercatus Original Podcasts Mercatus Original Podcasts
- | Discourse Magazine Podcast Discourse Magazine Podcast
GameStop, Robinhood and the SEC
- | Financial Markets Financial Markets
- | Radio Appearance Radio Appearance
Brian Knight on Marketplace - Activist Banking
- | Technology and Innovation Technology and Innovation
- | Mercatus Original Podcasts Mercatus Original Podcasts
Interpreting CDA Section 230 and its Future

- | Financial Markets Financial Markets
- | Mercatus Original Podcasts Mercatus Original Podcasts
Making US Capital Markets More Resilient

- | Financial Markets Financial Markets
- | Mercatus Original Podcasts Mercatus Original Podcasts
Preventing Bank Failures from Becoming Bank Crises

- | Urban Economics Urban Economics
- | Mercatus Original Podcasts Mercatus Original Podcasts
Making the Housing Market More Resilient for Homeowners, Neighborhoods, and the Economy

- | Financial Markets Financial Markets
- | Mercatus Original Podcasts Mercatus Original Podcasts
What's Next for Consumer Credit Regulation?

- | Financial Markets Financial Markets
- | Mercatus Original Podcasts Mercatus Original Podcasts
What Are ICOs, and Why Do They Matter?

Latest Work
- | Financial Markets Financial Markets
- | Public Interest Comments Public Interest Comments
Amicus Brief | The National Rifle Association of America v. Maria T. Vullo
- | Financial Markets Financial Markets
- | Federal Testimonies Federal Testimonies
Revamping and Revitalizing Banking in the 21st Century
- | Financial Markets Financial Markets
- | Public Interest Comments Public Interest Comments
The FDIC Should Restore the OSA or, at Minimum, Solicit Public Views before Regressing to the SARC
- | Financial Markets Financial Markets
- | Public Interest Comments Public Interest Comments
The FDIC Should Restore the OSA or, at Minimum, Solicit Public Views before Regressing to the SARC
- | Financial Markets Financial Markets
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
Ohio Should Consider Creating Regulatory Sandboxes
- | Financial Markets Financial Markets
- | Public Interest Comments Public Interest Comments
Benefits, Costs, and Design Considerations of a Central Bank Digital Currency
- | Financial Markets Financial Markets
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
Maryland Should Consider Creating a Regulatory Sandbox
- | Financial Markets Financial Markets
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
Missouri Should Consider Creating a Regulatory Sandbox
- | Financial Markets Financial Markets
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
Nebraska Should Consider Creating Regulatory Sandboxes
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
Virginia Should Consider Creating Regulatory Sandboxes
Latest Work
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Debate Season Is Here | FinRegRag
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Don’t Whitewash the History of Bank Regulators’ Abusive Practices | American Banker
- | Financial Markets Financial Markets
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Bank of America, the FBI, and the Question of Financial Privacy (Part 4) | FinRegRag
- | Financial Markets Financial Markets
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Bank of America, the FBI, and the Question of Financial Privacy (Part 3) | FinRegRag
- | Financial Markets Financial Markets
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Some Questions for Chair Powell | FinRegRag
- | Financial Markets Financial Markets
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Building a Financial System That Enables Abundance | Discourse
- | Financial Markets Financial Markets
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Building a Financial System That Enables Abundance | Discourse
- | Financial Markets Financial Markets
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary