Commerce Dept. becomes blockchain industry's policy advisor—with no consumer guardrails
H.R. 1664 — Deploying American Blockchains Act of 2025 · Filed by Kat Cammack (R-FL) · 1 cosponsor · Introduced Feb 27, 2025 · Passed chamber
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What it does
This bill directs the Secretary of Commerce to serve as the federal government's principal advisor on blockchain and distributed ledger technology, and to establish a Blockchain Deployment Program to promote U.S. competitiveness in these technologies. The Secretary will develop policies, coordinate federal agency adoption, establish advisory committees with industry and public stakeholders, develop best practices, and report annually to Congress—all without requiring private companies to participate or adopt any recommendations.
Why we flagged it
The bill establishes a federal advisory and policy-development function for blockchain technology, but its operative structure—advisory committees dominated by industry, no binding authority over private entities, and explicit carve-outs protecting industry from disclosure or compliance obligations—functions primarily as a platform for private-sector input into federal technology policy rather than as a regulatory or consumer-protection measure.
What the text implies
- The advisory committee structure (section 3(9)) lists 'covered nongovernmental representatives' (defined by reference to Trade Act section 135(1)) without disclosing who these representatives are or how they are selected, creating opacity around which industry voices shape federal blockchain policy.
- The bill requires the Secretary to 'consult closely and regularly with stakeholders, including private sector individuals and entities, and incorporate industry expertise' (section 3, Additional requirements) but imposes no parallel obligation to consult consumer advocates, civil-society organizations, or the general public on blockchain risks (fraud, market manipulation, environmental impact).
The full analysis lists 5 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
blockchain infrastructure operators and vendors; cryptocurrency and blockchain application developers; financial services firms adopting blockchain for settlement and trading