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US lawmakers have introduced a bipartisan bill to create a federal task force for cryptocurrency theft, scams and related digital asset crimes.
Representatives Lance Gooden and Josh Gottheimer introduced the Federal Cryptocurrency Theft Enforcement and Coordination Act on June 11. The bill would place the task force inside the Department of Justice and make it the main federal body for coordinating crypto theft investigations.
DOJ Would Lead Crypto Theft Coordination
The proposed task force would be chaired by the US attorney general and include senior representatives from the Justice Department, Homeland Security, Treasury and federal law enforcement agencies.
Its job would be to help federal, state and local investigators handle crypto theft cases through a common investigative framework. The bill calls for guidance on evidence collection, blockchain forensics, asset tracing and victim support, with technical help available to local agencies working theft reports.
The proposal does not create a new crypto regulator or add new criminal offenses. Gooden’s office said the bill is focused on criminal enforcement and coordination, not new market rules or expanded agency powers.
FBI Data Shows $11.4B in Crypto Losses
The bill follows another high-loss year for US crypto victims. The FBI’s 2025 Internet Crime Report recorded 181,565 complaints involving crypto, with reported losses of $11.366 billion.
Those figures were up 21% by complaint count and 22% by losses from 2024. The average reported crypto loss was $62,604, while 18,589 complainants said they lost more than $100,000.
Investment Fraud Caused $7.2B in Losses
Investment fraud remained the largest crypto-linked category, with 61,559 complaints and $7.228 billion in losses.
Crypto ATM and kiosk cases also rose, reaching 13,460 complaints and $389 million in losses. Those figures place the bill within a wider enforcement push focused on scams, theft and victim support.
Bill Requires Annual Crypto Theft Report
Gooden said Washington lacks a coordinated strategy for crypto theft, while Gottheimer said victims often have no obvious place to turn after their funds are stolen. That gap matters because scam cases can move quickly across wallets, exchanges, blockchains and foreign jurisdictions.
By the time victims reach local police, the money may already have been split, bridged or sent through laundering services. The bill would require an annual report to Congress on crypto theft trends, coordination outcomes and possible legislative or administrative fixes.
Owens and Wasserman Schultz Join Bill
Reps. Burgess Owens and Debbie Wasserman Schultz are listed as cosponsors. The Digital Chamber and Satoshi Action Fund have also backed the proposal.
The next step is whether the bill advances in the House as lawmakers continue debating broader digital asset rules.
