US lawmakers have introduced legislation to create a task force led by the Justice Department. The proposed group would coordinate investigations into cryptocurrency theft, scams and other crimes related to digital assets. This effort would involve federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.
Structure and objectives of the working group
Under the proposal, the Justice Department would act as the lead federal coordinator for cryptocurrency theft investigations. The task force would bring together agencies including the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations and the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. The bill was introduced by Republican Rep. Lance Gooden and Democratic Rep. Josh Gottheimer.
The task force’s mission is to develop best practices in several areas. These include evidence collection, blockchain forensic analysis, asset tracing, and victim assistance. It would also provide training and technical assistance to state and local law enforcement agencies. According to the FBI’s 2025 Internet Crime Report, Americans reported more than $11 billion in crypto-related losses last year.
The task force would coordinate cross-border investigations with international law enforcement agencies. It would also submit annual reports to Congress on emerging threats, implementation challenges and potential policy recommendations. The bill clarifies that it would not authorize new regulation of cryptocurrency markets. It would not expand the authority of federal agencies or create new criminal offenses. Instead, the focus is on coordination between agencies that already investigate financial crimes.
AI Tools for Crypto Investigations
The proposed working group comes as blockchain intelligence companies increasingly deploy artificial intelligence tools. These tools are designed to help investigators trace stolen funds, identify illicit activity, and analyze complex transaction flows across digital asset networks.
In March, TRM Labs launched Co-Case Agent, an AI investigative assistant for crypto-crime and compliance teams. The company said the tool can trace fund flows, audit blockchain transaction graphs, and suggest investigative steps from natural language prompts. Chainalysis announced similar blockchain intelligence agents later this month. The company said the tools would be rolled out over the summer for investigation and compliance purposes. Agents are designed to help users trace funds and gather intelligence, especially as crypto criminals increasingly use AI to expand their operations.
The growing focus on investigative tools comes as crypto-related exploits continue to generate significant losses. According to DeFiLlama, hackers stole around $630 million in April alone. This is the sector’s largest monthly loss since February 2025.
