The U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs minority published a letter led by Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren, joined by Senators Mazie K. Hirono and Dick Durbin, urging Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche to reverse Department of Justice decisions that would scale back cryptocurrency-related investigations and prosecutions and disband the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team (NCET). The letter responds to an April 7, 2025 memo that, according to the senators, would stop enforcing certain federal laws against entities that handle digital assets, including mixing and tumbling services. The lawmakers argue that mixers are frequently used to launder stolen cryptocurrency and are associated with criminal activity including drug trafficking, child sexual exploitation, scams, and sanctions evasion, including by North Korea. They also cite NCET’s role since its 2021 creation in coordinating prosecutions involving illicit cryptocurrency activity, including cases involving hundreds of millions of dollars in digital assets, and raise concerns about potential connections between DOJ’s actions and cryptocurrency ventures involving President Trump and his family.
U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs 2025-04-10
U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Ranking Member Warren leads senators urging DOJ to reverse crypto enforcement rollback and NCET disbandment
The U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs minority, led by Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren, urged Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche to reverse DOJ decisions to scale back cryptocurrency investigations and disband the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team (NCET). The senators argue that mixers are often used for laundering stolen cryptocurrency and other criminal activities, highlighting NCET's role in prosecuting illicit cases. They express concerns about potential links between DOJ's actions and cryptocurrency ventures involving President Trump and his family.