Three members of Congress positioned digital asset regulation as a matter of nationwide safety and financial competitors throughout a panel dialogue at The Bitcoin 2026 Convention in Las Vegas on Monday.
Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa), Zach Nunn (R-Iowa), and Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) spoke on “The Bitcoin Bloc: A New Power in American Politics,” moderated by Faryar Shirzad, Chief Coverage Officer at Coinbase.
Miller-Meeks described Bitcoin as “monetary democracy” and linked cryptocurrency adoption to America’s 250th anniversary, framing help for digital belongings as patriotic. She cited the Chinese language Communist Occasion as a risk and characterised crypto coverage as a nationwide safety situation.
The Iowa congresswoman shared her background working via medical college and highlighted Bitcoin’s potential to guard girls experiencing home abuse or violence.
She stated digital belongings can present girls with sources past authorities attain, citing Canada’s trucker protest for example of presidency intervention in monetary accounts. Miller-Meeks acknowledged that older People specific considerations about digital asset security.
Chinese language is driving bitcoin coverage urgency
Each Miller-Meeks and Nunn emphasised competitors with China as a driver for U.S. crypto coverage. Miller-Meeks acknowledged that China continues to pursue management within the digital asset sector however stated the US stays the very best setting for innovation.
Nunn warned that failing to advance American management in Bitcoin and digital belongings creates nationwide safety dangers. He referred to as for holding China accountable and stated shedding the November midterm elections may reverse 18 months of legislative progress, permitting adversaries to achieve floor whereas the U.S. falls behind.
“Choices and elections have penalties,” Nunn stated, pointing to particular anti-crypto Democrats as he mentioned the stakes of the upcoming midterm elections.
Nunn highlighted progress in Congress and the crypto sector, noting that the SEC below former Chair Gary Gensler imposed fines within the thousands and thousands of {dollars} for violations involving ideas Gensler didn’t perceive. Gensler was fired earlier within the Trump administration.
Lawler referenced the GENIUS Act as a constructive step however stated Congress should set up a complete federal regulatory framework.
He cited Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s op-ed in The Wall Avenue Journal and acknowledged that passing regulatory readability will place America on the forefront of the digital asset area. Lawler stated SEC laws ought to serve the crypto business’s finest pursuits.
As a New Yorker, Lawler stated he desires the crypto business to stay in New York and really feel safe working within the state.
The ‘double taxation’ of bitcoin mining
Nunn criticized double taxation on Bitcoin mining operations, questioning why the U.S. taxes Bitcoin mining otherwise than different types of asset extraction. He stated extreme taxation drives innovation to different nations and emphasised the necessity to keep away from making it tough to conduct enterprise in the US.
The panel dialogue mirrored a broader shift in congressional Republican attitudes towards digital belongings, with lawmakers framing crypto coverage via the lens of geopolitical competitors and particular person monetary freedom slightly than client safety or monetary stability considerations that dominated earlier regulatory debates.