Coin Center has sent a letter to the U.S. Senate Banking Committee urging lawmakers to move the Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act (BRCA) forward without stripping out protections for non-custodial developers. The advocacy group warns that diluting the bill would chill blockchain innovation and drive open-source talent out of the country.
Bill Clarifies Who Is Not a Money Transmitter
The revised BRCA, introduced last month by Senators Cynthia Lummis and Ron Wyden, would formally exclude software developers and blockchain infrastructure providers from being classified as money transmitters under federal law — as long as they never take custody of user assets. The draft has not yet been marked up or voted on by the Senate Banking Committee, according to congressional records.
Coin Center policy director Jason Somensatto compared blockchain developers to internet service providers, cloud hosting companies, router manufacturers, and browser developers. “This is the same type of activity conducted every day by internet service providers, cloud hosting services, router manufacturers, browser developers, and email providers,” Somensatto wrote in the letter. He argued that authorities do not threaten those actors with prison when criminals misuse their systems, and the same standard should apply to blockchain developers who publish code but do not control user funds.
Recent Convictions Highlight the Urgency
The push comes after multiple crypto developer convictions in 2025. Tornado Cash developer Roman Storm was found guilty of conspiring to operate an unlicensed money-transmitting business and is awaiting sentencing. Samourai Wallet founders Keonne Rodriguez and Will Lonergan Hill received prison terms of five and four years respectively for the same charge. These cases show how unclear rules can expose open-source developers to serious criminal penalties for writing and publishing code.
Coin Center warned that weakening the legislation would increase legal uncertainty and could prompt developers to leave the United States. Some teams are already exploring relocation to jurisdictions with clearer regulatory frameworks. The organization stressed that the issue goes beyond legal technicalities — it determines whether the U.S. can remain competitive in the next wave of digital infrastructure development.
Lawmakers continue to debate digital asset regulation on Capitol Hill, and the fate of the BRCA remains uncertain. Coin Center’s public pressure signals that developer protection has become a central legislative battleground.