US crypto regulation accelerates, Senator Lummis focuses on the gray area of developer responsibility

2026-01-13 06:09:45

As US cryptocurrency regulation gradually becomes clearer, a bipartisan bill focused on the “developer responsibility boundaries” has attracted significant industry attention. In 2026, the “Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act” jointly proposed by Cynthia Lummis and Ron Wyden is advancing the legislative process, with the core goal of clarifying the legal boundaries between blockchain developers and financial intermediaries.

Overall, the bill attempts to address a key issue that has long troubled the US crypto industry: whether developers who write code and maintain open-source protocols should bear regulatory obligations similar to banks or money transfer agencies. The two senators explicitly stated that developers who have never interacted with or controlled user funds should not be included in the money transfer regulation system.

Cynthia Lummis said that considering blockchain developers as money transmitters is both logically and technically unfounded. Such vague classifications actually suppress innovation in the US domestic crypto industry. In summary, the bill emphasizes that “actual control over user funds” is the core standard for regulatory delineation.

Ron Wyden further pointed out that requiring pure software developers to comply with transaction institution-level regulations not only lacks technical understanding but may also infringe on privacy rights and freedom of speech. This view has also received broad support from the digital asset community.

From a regulatory perspective, the “Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act” is seen as an important part of the US effort to establish a clear cryptocurrency regulatory framework. Amid ongoing uncertainties in market structure legislation, this proposal is expected to lead the way in providing clear guidance on long-tail keywords such as “cryptocurrency developer responsibility” and “blockchain compliance boundaries,” laying a foundation for the long-term development of the US digital asset industry.

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