WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, and John Boozman (R-AR), Ranking Member, along with Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and John Thune (R-SD) today introduced the Digital Commodities Consumer Protection Act of 2022 to give the Commodity Futures Trading Commission new tools and authorities to regulate digital commodities. This mandatory framework will safeguard customers and our markets.

“One in five Americans have used or traded digital assets—but these markets lack the transparency and accountability that they expect from our financial system. Too often, this puts Americans’ hard-earned money at risk,” said Senator Stabenow. “That’s why we are closing regulatory gaps and requiring that these markets operate under straightforward rules that protect customers and keep our financial system safe.”

“Digital assets and blockchain technology have already, and will continue, to change the way global markets function. Yet, this fast-growing industry is currently governed largely by a patchwork of regulations at the state level. That simply is not an effective way to protect consumers from fraud. Furthermore, relying solely on state regulation does not ensure that rules and regulations work for all stakeholders. Our bill will empower the CFTC with exclusive jurisdiction over the digital commodities spot market, which will lead to more safeguards for consumers, market integrity and innovation in the digital commodities space,” Senator Boozman said.

“As the number of Americans engaging with digital assets continues to grow, it is critical that we clarify and strengthen the regulation of our financial system,” said Senator Booker. “This bipartisan legislation will enhance oversight over digital commodities, taking an important first step to ensure that the digital marketplace operates fairly with commonsense rules in place and protects consumers entering this market.”

“Technology continues to transform digital commodities, and it’s critical that the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has the proper tools to regulate this growing market, ” said Senator Thune. “This legislation would provide the CFTC with the necessary visibility into the marketplace to respond to emerging risks and protect consumers, while also providing regulatory certainty to digital commodity platforms.”

An overview of the legislation can be found here.

A section by section description of the legislation can be found here.