WASHINGTON, D.C. — Ahead of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs hearing today on digital assets, Virginia Canter, anticorruption and ethics chief counsel and director at Democracy Defenders Action, submitted a statement for the record urging lawmakers to include strong ethics safeguards in any digital asset market legislation.

Canter’s statement outlines the urgent need for divestment rules, transparency, and a robust anti-corruption framework to prevent government officials from exploiting digital asset regulation for personal gain.

“As President Trump and his family profit from the very markets he influences, the risk of abuse of power grows,” Canter said. “Without enforceable ethics protections, Congress risks legalizing a pay-to-play crypto marketplace that threatens consumer trust, national security, and democratic integrity.”

Read the statement of record 

Read DDF’s report on President Trump’s crypto conflicts of interest