A bill introduced Thursday (June 11) in the U.S. House would create a federal task force to combat crypto theft and support victims.
The Federal Cryptocurrency Theft Enforcement and Coordination Act was introduced by Reps. Lance Gooden, R-Texas, and Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., according to a Thursday press release.
The organization that would be created by the bill would be called the Federal Cryptocurrency Theft Task Force, would be established within the Justice Department, would be chaired by the attorney general, and would bring together senior representatives from Justice, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Treasury Department and federal law enforcement agencies, according to the release.
The bill would also build a playbook to guide state and local agencies in their evidence collection, blockchain forensics and victim support; require an annual report to Congress on trends, outcomes and recommended actions; and protect innovation by focusing only on criminal enforcement and coordination, per the release.
Gooden said in the release that Washington currently lacks a coordinated strategy to stop crypto criminals that are stealing billions from Americans.
“As digital assets shape the future of finance, this bill protects consumers, cracks down on thieves, and strengthens trust in the crypto ecosystem,” Gooden said.
Gottheimer said in the release that the victims of crypto theft and scams have nowhere to turn and that the bill would bring together federal agencies to support victims, go after criminals and provide federal backup to local law enforcement.
“That means a single federal point of contact, an effective, coordinated response, and a clear playbook for going after the criminals robbing people blind,” Gottheimer said.
The bill is supported by The Digital Chamber and the Satoshi Action Fund, according to the release.
Satoshi Action Fund Co-Founder and CEO Dennis Porter said in the release that the task force created by the bill “gives victims, investigators and local law enforcement the unified federal response they have been missing, all on a voluntary basis that respects local control.”
The Digital Chamber said in the release the bill will give law enforcement agencies resources to “investigate theft, trace illegal activity, support victims and pursue criminals.
The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) said in April that in 2025, it received 181,565 complaints involving cryptocurrency. IC3 added that these complaints reported $11.4 billion in losses.
