Bipartisan Crypto Theft Bill Would Unify DOJ, FBI, and Treasury Enforcement

A bipartisan pair of U.S. House lawmakers has introduced legislation to establish a Federal Cryptocurrency Theft Task Force under the U.S. Attorney General, creating a single federal coordination point for investigations into stolen digital assets. The bill, sponsored by Representative Lance Gooden, a Texas Republican, and Representative Josh Gottheimer, a New Jersey Democrat, would bring together the Department of Justice, the FBI, the Treasury Department, and the Department of Homeland Security to prevent, investigate, and respond to cryptocurrency theft cases.

Gooden and Gottheimer Cite Billions in Annual Losses and Lack of Coordination

Gooden, a member of the House Judiciary Committee, said cryptocurrency criminals are stealing billions of dollars from Americans annually while Washington lacks a coordinated federal strategy to respond. He said the legislation is intended to protect consumers, pursue thieves, and support trust in the digital asset market. 

Gottheimer, who sits on the House Financial Services Committee, said victims of crypto theft and scams currently lack a clear federal point of contact and argued the task force would address that gap. The proposed task force would give both victims and investigators a single federal point of contact.

Task Force Would Consolidate Fragmented Multi-Agency Enforcement

Crypto crime cases typically involve multiple layers of enforcement, with local police, federal agencies, foreign exchanges, blockchain analytics firms, and prosecutors each playing separate roles. The bill attempts to reduce that fragmentation by centralizing coordination inside the Justice Department. 

Dannis Porter, co-founder and CEO of the Satoshi Action Fund, said placing the task force at the Justice Department would give victims, investigators, and local authorities a more unified federal response while keeping participation voluntary.

The bill’s scope covers criminal activity ranging from fraud to hacking, including pig butchering scams, in which criminal networks build trust with victims before directing them to transfer crypto to fraudulent platforms. The bill does not create a new market regulator. It focuses specifically on theft, tracing illicit transactions, supporting victims, and improving coordination among law enforcement agencies.

Proposal Follows DOJ’s Disbanding of National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team

The proposal comes after the Justice Department disbanded its National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team under the Trump administration, with officials at the time arguing that the previous approach had conflated enforcement with broader crypto regulation.

Federal agencies have used similar coordination models for related crimes. The Joint Ransomware Task Force was created in 2021 to coordinate cross-agency responses to ransomware cases, which frequently involve crypto payments. 

The Treasury Department’s Scam Center Strike Force reported seizures of more than $700 million in crypto tied to scam networks, according to the department, while also coordinating with law enforcement on overseas fraud operations.

Legislation Requires Committee Support Before Any Floor Vote

The new bill still faces an uncertain path in Congress, requiring committee support or inclusion in a broader legislative package before reaching a floor vote. The Digital Chamber, a crypto industry advocacy group, said law enforcement agencies need better tools, training, and coordination to investigate theft, trace illicit activity, assist victims, and pursue bad actors. The bill requires committee approval or inclusion in a broader legislative package before it can advance to a floor vote.