US Bill Creates DOJ Task Force for Crypto Theft and Scams

US lawmakers have introduced legislation aimed at creating a Department of Justice-led task force. The proposed group would coordinate investigations into cryptocurrency theft, scams, and other digital asset-related crimes. This effort would span federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.

Task Force Structure and Goals

Under the proposal, the Justice Department would act as the primary federal coordinator for cryptocurrency theft investigations. The task force would bring together agencies including the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. The bill was introduced by Republican Representative Lance Gooden and Democratic Representative Josh Gottheimer.

The task force is directed to develop best practices for several areas. These include evidence collection, blockchain forensics, asset tracing, and victim support. It would also provide training and technical assistance to state and local law enforcement agencies. According to the FBI’s 2025 Internet Crime Report, Americans reported more than $11 billion in crypto-related losses last year.

The task force would coordinate with international law enforcement agencies on cross-border investigations. It would also submit annual reports to Congress on emerging threats, enforcement challenges, and potential policy recommendations. The bill specifies that it would not authorize new regulation of cryptocurrency markets. It would not expand the authority of federal agencies or create new criminal offenses. Instead, the focus is on coordination among agencies that already investigate financial crimes.

AI Tools for Crypto Investigations

The proposed task force comes as blockchain intelligence firms increasingly deploy artificial intelligence tools. These tools are designed to help investigators trace stolen funds, identify illicit activity, and analyze complex transaction flows across digital asset networks.

In March, TRM Labs launched Co-Case Agent, an AI investigative assistant for crypto crime and compliance teams. The company said the tool can trace fund flows, audit blockchain transaction graphs, and suggest investigative steps from natural language prompts. Chainalysis announced similar blockchain intelligence agents later that month. The company said the tools would be rolled out over the summer for investigations and compliance. The agents are designed to help users trace funds and gather intelligence, especially as crypto criminals increasingly use AI to scale their operations.

The growing focus on investigative tools comes as crypto-related exploits continue to generate significant losses. According to DeFiLlama, hackers stole roughly $630 million in April alone. That marked the industry’s largest monthly loss total since February 2025.

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