Catholic And Law Enforcement Groups Warn CLARITY Act Could Weaken Crypto Crime Safeguards
A coalition of Catholic leaders, law enforcement groups, and anti-trafficking advocates warns that the CLARITY Act could weaken safeguards against crypto-enabled crime. Their criticism focuses on provisions that would protect developers of non-custodial software (like wallets and DeFi protocols) from being regulated as money transmitters.
This highlights a core regulatory dilemma: distinguishing neutral software from financial intermediation. Crypto advocates argue such developers should not be treated like exchanges, while critics fear broad exemptions could hinder the tracking of illicit finance, including human trafficking and sanctions evasion.
The bill aims to create clearer market-structure rules, but this opposition shows the debate extends beyond investor protection to law enforcement concerns. The pushback means supporters may need to address these issues, potentially leading to amendments or stricter requirements. For the crypto industry, clearer rules could spur U.S. investment, but the bill faces a tougher political path if framed as weakening crime-fighting tools.
bitcoinist06/24 19:02