The U.S. Treasury Department urges Congress to pass the "Hold Act" to authorize crypto platforms to freeze suspicious funds

The U.S. Treasury Department, in its report on the GENIUS Act submitted to Congress, suggested that Congress consider creating a "hold law" for digital assets. This proposal aims to provide a legal safe harbor for crypto platforms, allowing them to temporarily and voluntarily freeze digital assets suspected of illegal activity during investigations.

Ari Redbord, policy director at TRM Labs, stated that this legislation would give law enforcement time to address the rapid nature of blockchain transactions. Although the Bank Secrecy Act protects institutions that submit suspicious activity reports, there is currently a lack of clear statutory provisions authorizing platforms to freeze funds without a court order. The report noted that this move would strengthen public-private partnerships in combating crypto fraud and money laundering.