U.S. lawmakers propose federal task force for crypto crime coordination

Traders Union
All News
Crypto News
Federal crypto crime task force

Highlights

Representatives Lance Gooden and Josh Gottheimer introduced legislation to create a Justice Department-led federal task force coordinating crypto crime enforcement among the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and FinCEN.
The proposed bill mandates best practices for evidence collection, blockchain forensics, asset tracing, victim support, and annual congressional reporting, without expanding regulatory authority or creating new offenses.
Americans reported more than $11 billion in crypto-related losses in 2024 according to the FBI, while hackers stole $630 million in April 2025, the highest monthly total since February 2025, amid rising adoption of AI-powered blockchain investigative tools.

Justice-led framework for crypto investigations

As reported by Gooden.house.gov, the legislation introduced by Representative Lance Gooden and Representative Josh Gottheimer would make the Justice Department the lead federal coordinator for probes into cryptocurrency theft, scams and related digital asset crimes. The task force would bring together agencies including the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations and the Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network.

The bill directs the group to establish best practices for evidence collection, blockchain forensics, asset tracing and victim support. It also calls for training and technical assistance for state and local law enforcement agencies, while requiring annual reports to Congress on emerging threats, enforcement challenges and possible policy recommendations.

The measure also sets boundaries on the federal role. It says the task force would not create new regulations for cryptocurrency markets, expand agency authority or introduce new criminal offenses, focusing instead on better coordination among agencies already responsible for financial crime investigations, including cross-border work with international law enforcement partners.

Rising losses and new investigative tools

Pressure for a more coordinated response comes as crypto-related losses remain elevated. The FBI's 2025 Internet Crime Report says Americans reported more than $11 billion in crypto-related losses last year, underscoring the scale of fraud and theft facing the sector.

At the same time, blockchain intelligence companies are rolling out artificial intelligence tools aimed at helping investigators follow stolen funds and detect illicit activity. In March, TRM Labs launched Co-Case Agent, which it says can trace fund flows, audit blockchain transaction graphs and suggest investigative steps from natural language prompts.

Chainalysis announced similar blockchain intelligence agents later in March and says the tools are due to be rolled out over the summer for investigations and compliance work. The company says the products are intended to help users trace funds and gather intelligence as crypto criminals increasingly use AI to expand their operations.

The push for stronger investigative capacity also follows fresh losses across the market. According to DeFiLlama, hackers steal roughly $630 million in April alone, marking the sector's biggest monthly loss total since February 2025.

Our earlier analysis of Bit Digital Inc (BTBT) focused on the stock’s near-term outlook, highlighting short-term intraday strength but an overall medium- and long-term bearish trend. We noted elevated volatility and mixed momentum signals, with BTBT likely to trade sideways between $1.61 and $1.87 unless it can decisively reclaim resistance around $1.77.

This material may contain third-party opinions, none of the data and information on this webpage constitutes investment advice according to our Disclaimer. While we adhere to strict Editorial Integrity, this post may contain references to products from our partners.