The Home Finance Committee has introduced one other listening to on cryptocurrency regulation as demand for congressional motion on the virulent trade intensifies.
Held by the Digital Belongings, Monetary Expertise and Inclusion Subcommittee and Entitled “Digital Greenback Dilemma: The Implications of a Central Financial institution Digital Forex and Personal Sector Options,” the listening to will happen at 2:00 PM ET on Thursday, September 14, 2023.
The 12 months 2023 has witnessed a flurry of exercise from federal businesses and lawmakers looking for to navigate the quickly evolving panorama of digital belongings. The urgency to implement a cohesive legislative framework has arguably reached a tipping level, spurred by market volatility, investor safety issues, and the worldwide race to outline requirements for digital currencies.
Congressional stress
The cryptocurrency trade has seen elevated consideration from Capitol Hill this 12 months, with lawmakers on either side feeling stress to behave.
Main the cost, Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren reintroduced the Digital Asset Anti-Cash Laundering Act in late July, incomes the surprising backing of Wall Avenue banks. Geared toward lowering the nationwide safety dangers posed by cryptocurrencies, the laws would maintain crypto companies to the identical requirements and necessities as conventional banks. In a press launch, Warren voiced issues about cryptocurrencies changing into the popular transaction methodology amongst cybercriminals, labeling her invoice because the “hardest proposal on the desk to crack down on crypto crime.”
The invoice, which first appeared in December 2022, is multifaceted. It mandates the likes of crypto pockets suppliers, miners, and validators to abide by the Financial institution Secrecy Act, pushing for know-your-customer necessities. The proposed laws additionally duties the Treasury Division, SEC, and CFTC with establishing assessment processes for crypto companies, and it directs FinCEN to shut regulatory gaps, notably these surrounding self-custody wallets.
Warren will not be the one voice in Congress calling for regulatory readability. Simply two days earlier than Warren’s announcement, the Home Monetary Companies Committee superior a set of seven crypto-related payments. This Republican-led initiative, which included legislative efforts from Chairman Patrick McHenry, Rep. Warren Davidson, and Rep. Invoice Huizenga, addresses numerous sides of digital asset regulation, from stablecoins to SEC disclosures.
Nonetheless, the excellent bundle hasn’t been free from criticism. Democratic Consultant Maxine Waters pointedly famous that the invoice appeared to cater extra to the crypto trade’s pursuits moderately than the broader public or the views of different regulatory our bodies.
In June, Waters additionally sought suggestions from the SEC and the Treasury Division on the Digital Asset Market Construction Dialogue Draft, a Republican-led legislative proposal. This invoice, primarily concentrating on the delineation of a cryptocurrency as a commodity or safety, additionally got down to clearly demarcate regulatory tasks.