On Jan. 12, rating member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and City Affairs, Elizabeth Warren, penned a 31-page letter to Treasury Secretary-designate Scott Bessent suggesting harsh measures for crypto regulation.
The letter was shared by the vp of presidency affairs at Paradigm, Alexander Grieve, who identified that she was immediately on the offensive, saying that Bessent has “no authorities expertise.”
Crypto Warpath Continues
Within the part on anti-money laundering, Warren, who defeated John Deaton within the November election, referenced the listing of crypto crackdown requests she despatched to Congress in late 2023, he famous. She additionally reiterated the well-worn arguments that crypto is for criminals:
“Dangerous actors are additionally more and more turning to cryptocurrency to allow cash laundering, sanctions evasion, and to finance main nationwide safety threats,”
She additionally requested Bessen, who has disclosed possession of spot Bitcoin ETF holdings price as a lot as $500,000, a number of questions relating to the applying of more durable AML laws, particularly for digital property.
“Ought to the [Treasury] company have a secondary sanctions instrument that might enable it to sever fintech and crypto operators from US relationships?” she requested.
She additionally requested whether or not the Workplace of Overseas Belongings Management (OFAC) ought to have jurisdiction over dollar-denominated stablecoins.
Warren mentioned that the Treasury, beneath the Biden Administration, “acknowledged the rising menace of crypto.” In November 2023, it outlined 5 legislative proposals that might assist the company “fight illicit finance associated to digital property.”
These included amending the Financial institution Secrecy Act to incorporate a brand new crypto-related class of “monetary establishment” that would come with crypto exchanges, unhosted wallets, decentralized finance (DeFi), and blockchain validators.
Senator Warren has continued her push to lump digital property and decentralized protocols in the identical class as conventional finance and banking. Not all are in settlement with the banking Senator, nonetheless.
Scamming Scandal?
Elizabeth Warren has additionally been accused this week of making an attempt to make use of the California wildfire catastrophe for political acquire.
On Jan. 11, she posted a name to motion for supporting the Los Angeles Fireplace Division Basis. Nevertheless, it was revealed that the hyperlink supplied was not for the charity or basis however for a Democrat fundraising platform referred to as ActBlue that reportedly takes commissions from donations.
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