U.S. Congress Proposes Reestablishing the Cryptocurrency Crime Task Force to Fill the Law Enforcement Gap Left by the DOJ’s Disbanding of the NCET

According to CryptoSlate, U.S. Representatives Lance Gooden and Josh Gottheimer jointly introduced the Federal Cryptocurrency Theft Enforcement and Coordination Act, which proposes establishing a Federal Cryptocurrency Theft Task Force within the Department of Justice (DOJ). The task force would comprise representatives from the DOJ, FBI, Department of Homeland Security, and Department of the Treasury (including FinCEN). It would serve as the federal government’s central coordinating body for preventing, investigating, and prosecuting cryptocurrency theft cases, while also providing training and technical guidance to local law enforcement agencies on evidence collection, asset tracing, and victim support. This move follows the DOJ’s April 2025 decision to disband the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team (NCET), citing a shift toward “prosecution over regulation.” FBI data shows that cryptocurrency-related complaints reached 181,000 in 2025, with losses exceeding $11 billion. Notably, the bill explicitly excludes cryptocurrency market regulation from the task force’s mandate, and existing criminal statutes remain unchanged. However, critical details—including funding sources, staffing levels, and victim response mechanisms—remain undefined, prompting external concerns about the bill’s practical implementation.