I just read something quite interesting about the new cybersecurity strategy recently released by the White House. It’s the first time a document of this level explicitly includes cryptocurrencies and blockchain as part of the national cyber agenda.

According to Alex Thorn from Galaxy Research, the document is 7 pages long and is structured around 6 main pillars focused on defense and deterrence against cyber attacks. What’s interesting is that it contrasts quite a bit with the strategy Biden published in 2023, which hardly mentioned the crypto topic.

Now, things get more complicated. The document proposes two seemingly contradictory things: on one hand, it talks about "protecting and ensuring the security" of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology, but at the same time, it mentions "eliminating criminal infrastructure and cutting off financial channels." The latter clearly targets mixers, private stablecoins, and unregulated deposit and withdrawal channels.

Analysts are interpreting this as a solid political basis for regulators to intensify repression against certain types of tools and services. In other words, the cybersecurity strategy could end up being the pretext for more aggressive regulation.

Another important part is that they are expanding permissions for offensive cyber operations and planning to mobilize the private sector to combat hostile networks. There are also plans for automated defense systems with AI. And I think the most relevant point is that they will establish a new operational unit within the National Coordination Center specifically for coordinated operations against transnational cybercrime groups.

In summary, it’s a move that recognizes the importance of blockchain and crypto in the national security agenda, but with an approach that will likely bring more regulatory pressure on certain ecosystem actors. It’s worth keeping an eye on how this is implemented in the coming months.