House Subcommittee to Examine Crypto's Role in National Security

The U.S. House Oversight Subcommittee on Military and Foreign Affairs will hold a crypto roundtable on June 25, focusing on digital assets' impact on the global economy and national security. Chairman William Timmons announced the session, titled “Two Sides of a Digital Coin: Protecting U.S. Security by Challenging the Power of Repressive Foreign Regimes.”

The roundtable will examine how crypto can help individuals in repressive or economically unstable nations protect their finances, access aid, and preserve economic autonomy when state-controlled systems fail or are used against citizens. “Members and experts will also discuss the national security implications of U.S. leadership and competitiveness in the digital finance space,” the subcommittee said in a release.

Timmons framed the discussion around authoritarian regimes. “China and Russia are using financial systems and digital currencies as tools of surveillance and control,” he said. At the same time, individuals under those regimes are turning to decentralized digital assets to preserve financial freedom and circumvent government control. The roundtable will explore how these trends intersect with U.S. national security interests and how the U.S. can lead in financial innovation.