The Blockchain Association, an industry trade group representing the crypto industry in Washington D.C., sent a second letter to leadership in the House Financial Services Committee and Senate Banking Committee expressing deep concern over a bill titled the Digital Asset Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2023 (DAAMLA). Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) sponsored the legislation, with 19 other Senators having supported the bill as co-sponsors.
The first letter sent by the Blockchain Association in November of 2023 had 40 signatories from former U.S. military, national security and intelligence officers, while this new letter has 80 signatories from individuals with similar backgrounds.
While the first letter focused on what many described as an overblown narrative around how cryptocurrency played a role 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, the new letter focuses on the policy aspects of Warren’s DAAMLA legislation.
According to the Blockchain Association letter, Warren’s legislation, “…risks our nation’s strategic advantage, threatens tens of thousands of U.S. jobs, and bears little effect on the illicit actors it targets.” The message of the letter is also described as a response to a letter from Warren to the Blockchain Association.
Warren claimed in her letter that the Blockchain Association was, “…flexing a not-so secret weapon: a small army of former defense, national security and law enforcement officials…to undermine bipartisan efforts in Congress and the Biden Administration to address the role of cryptocurrency in financing Hamas and other terrorist organizations.”
Warren was referring to how the Blockchain Association helped coordinate a visit to Capitol Hill to discuss the issues raised in their first letter back in November of last year.
Coinbase as well as the think tank Coin Center also received similar letters from Warren. The Blockchain Association claims in their new letter to Warren that she, “… questioned the motivations and integrity of scores of U.S. military and intelligence veterans without addressing the substance of our arguments…”.
Source: forbes.com
