Two U.S. House members introduced legislation Thursday to create a multi-agency task force led by the attorney general to coordinate investigations of cryptocurrency theft.
The Federal Cryptocurrency Theft Task Force would include the Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Homeland Security and Treasury Department. Representative Lance Gooden, a Texas Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, and Representative Josh Gottheimer, a New Jersey Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, sponsored the measure.
"Crypto criminals are stealing billions from Americans, and Washington lacks a coordinated strategy to stop them," Gooden said in a statement. Gottheimer noted that victims have nowhere to turn despite $11 billion in thefts and scams last year, adding that the task force would provide a single federal point of contact.
The bill would establish the group on a voluntary basis that respects local control, according to Dannis Porter of the Satoshi Action Fund. It remains unclear whether the legislation will advance through committee or be attached to another bill in the current congressional session.
