Crypto Industry Unites Against Senate Bill Over Protections for Software Devs
News Summary
A coalition of 114 crypto companies and tech lobbying groups has sent a letter to the Senate Banking Committee, demanding strong legal protections for software developers in any upcoming crypto market structure bill. The alliance emphasized that developers of decentralized software should not face criminal liability for how others use their programs, comparing public blockchains to neutral infrastructure like roads or the internet. Signatories, including Coinbase, Grayscale, Solana Labs, and Andreessen Horowitz, warned that without these protections, the industry cannot support the legislation, citing concerns over the recent federal law used to convict Tornado Cash developer Roman Storm. Despite the Trump administration's earlier indication that it would not prosecute developers of "truly decentralized" software, the industry is pushing for the bill to explicitly clarify that software developers cannot be prosecuted as operators of money transmitting businesses and for federal exemptions to preempt all conflicting state laws.
Background
The U.S. Congress is currently deliberating legislation to regulate the cryptocurrency market. The House previously passed the CLARITY Act, which included language effectively carving out decentralized finance (DeFi) and peer-to-peer on-chain transactions from crypto regulation. However, the Senate's market structure bill is still under discussion, with industry concerns about language potentially criminalizing software developers. Earlier this year, the Trump Department of Justice successfully convicted Roman Storm, a developer behind the coin mixing service Tornado Cash, for violating federal law regarding funds known to be derived from crime or used for unlawful activity. Although DOJ officials later stated that law enforcement would no longer bring such charges against developers of "truly decentralized" software that does not take custody of user assets, the crypto industry is seeking explicit and comprehensive legislative protections.
In-Depth AI Insights
What are the true strategic intentions behind the crypto industry's united front? The coalition's unified action is more than just seeking legal protection; it's driven by deeper motives: - Defining Legal Boundaries for "Decentralization": The industry is leveraging the legislative process to compel Congress to explicitly define what constitutes "neutral infrastructure" and "non-custodial service providers," thereby establishing clear and safe legal boundaries for future DeFi and Web3 innovation. - Countering Overreach of the "Tool" Theory: The Tornado Cash case, which treated software code as a "tool" for which developers could be held criminally liable, deeply unsettled the entire open-source development community. The industry seeks to enshrine the principle of "developer innocence" through legislation, preventing absurd logic like holding road builders accountable for crimes committed on their roads. - Solidifying U.S. Leadership in Innovation: In an increasingly competitive global digital asset landscape, clear legal frameworks attract and retain developers, preventing innovation and talent from migrating to more crypto-friendly jurisdictions. This is a strategic play in the global race for Web3 leadership against Europe and Asia. 特朗普政府的“亲加密”立场将如何与司法部的行动相协调？ 特朗普政府虽然总体上采取“亲加密”立场，但司法部的行动，尤其是在Tornado Cash案中的成功定罪，揭示了其内部的复杂性或战略分歧： - 实用主义与选民基础： “亲加密”可能更多是出于吸引年轻选民和科技创新领域支持者的实用主义政治考量，尤其是在总统大选之后。然而，执法部门的职责是维护法律，这可能导致在具体案件中采取更严厉的行动。 - “去中心化”的模糊性： 司法部官员后续的“真正去中心化”豁免声明显示，政府可能在试图在法律和技术现实之间寻找平衡点。然而，这种模糊性本身就需要立法来澄清，否则仍会给开发者带来不确定性。 - 测试与界限： Tornado Cash案可能被视为测试现有法律对新型数字技术适用性的一个案例。政府可能在通过个案来探明界限，同时也为未来立法提供参考。 这对美国作为区块链创新中心的长期影响是什么？ 开发者保护条款的缺失或模糊性对美国作为区块链创新中心构成重大风险： - 创新外流风险： 如果美国未能提供明确且有利的法律环境，开发者和项目可能会选择在监管更友好、法律风险更低的国家发展，导致美国在全球Web3竞争中落后。 - 中心化倾向： 如果开发者担心因编写去中心化代码而面临刑事责任，他们可能会倾向于开发更中心化的解决方案，以便更好地控制和符合监管要求，这与区块链的去中心化精神背道而驰。 - 资本与人才流失： 法律不确定性会阻碍风险投资对去中心化项目的投入，同时也会导致顶尖人才流向更有保障的市场，损害美国的科技竞争优势。