Cryptocurrency and Digital Assets

Cryptocurrency and digital assets are forms of value recorded on shared digital ledgers rather than held by a bank or issued by a government. Bitcoin is the best known, but the category also includes tokens and other digital property. Several federal agencies claim a role, including securities, commodities, tax, and financial crime regulators, and Congress and the courts decide how older laws apply to these assets.

People usually bring questions about whether and how the government should regulate these assets, how they are taxed, and what protections buyers have if an exchange fails or a scheme turns out to be fraud. They also ask how digital assets differ from dollars and from ordinary investments such as stocks.