As the U.S. Senate returns from its August recess, a powerful coalition of more than 110 cryptocurrency firms—including household names like Coinbase, Kraken, Ripple, a16z, and Uniswap Labs—is urging lawmakers to explicitly shield developers and non-custodial service providers from legal liability within a pending market-structure bill.
In a letter addressed to the Senate Banking and Agriculture committees, the industry warns that without strong, nationwide protections, developers could be held accountable for the misuse of their platforms by bad actors—a burden that could stifle innovation and growth.
The push comes amid broader moves in Congress toward crypto regulation. While stablecoin legislation has seen bipartisan support, the current market-structure bill is viewed as the sector’s ultimate test—especially with vocal figures such as Senator Mark Warner signaling a potential shift toward holding creators legally liable.
This unified lobbying effort coincides with the crypto industry’s expanding political footprint. The Fairshake political action committee, closely tied to the sector, has already spent over $130 million in recent congressional elections and raised more than $140 million for the next cycle—a clear indicator of its growing influence.
High-profile legal cases have raised the stakes further. Developers behind Tornado Cash and Roman Storm have faced federal prosecution—highlighting the urgent need for legislative clarity. The industry is calling for permanent assurances that law enforcement won’t target developers absent clear, intentional wrongdoing.
