U.S. bipartisan lawmakers propose a bill to protect blockchain developers from criminal charges

According to Eleanor Terrett, U.S. Republican lawmakers Fitzgerald (Wisconsin), Cline (Virginia), and Democratic lawmaker Lofgren (California) jointly proposed the "Blockchain Development and Innovation Promotion Act," aimed at clarifying the applicability of Section 1960 of the Criminal Code.

The bill explicitly states that Section 1960 applies only to entities that control customer funds, rather than developers who merely write code. Previously, in cases like TornadoCash and SamouraiWallet, regulators had applied this provision to non-custodial software developers, triggering a strong backlash from the crypto industry. This bill will provide legal protection for blockchain developers and address the long-standing conflict between crypto innovation and regulation.