Three members of Congress framed digital asset regulation as a matter of national security and economic competitiveness during a panel discussion at the Bitcoin 2026 Conference in Las Vegas on Monday.
Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa), Zach Nunn (R-Iowa), and Mike Lawler (RN.Y.) spoke on “The Bitcoin Bloc: A New Force in American Politics,” moderated by Faryar Shirzad, Chief Policy Officer at Coinbase.
Miller-Meeks described Bitcoin as “financial democracy” and linked the discovery of the cryptocurrency to the 250th anniversary of America, establishing support for digital goods as patriotism. He cited the Chinese Communist Party as a threat and portrayed crypto policy as a matter of national security.
The congressman from Iowa shared his background working in medical school and highlighted the power of Bitcoin to protect women facing domestic abuse or violence.
She said digital goods can provide women with services that are inaccessible to the government, citing the Canadian trucking protest as an example of government intervention in financial accounts. Miller-Meeks acknowledged that older Americans are expressing concerns about the safety of digital assets.
The Chinese are driving the urgency of bitcoin policy
Both Miller-Meeks and Nunn emphasized competition with China as a driver of US crypto policy. Miller-Meeks said China continues to pursue leadership in the digital goods sector but said the United States is still the best place to innovate.
Nunn warned that failure to develop American leadership in Bitcoin and digital assets creates national security risks. He called for China to be held accountable and said a loss in November’s midterm elections would set back 18 months of legislative progress, allowing adversaries to gain ground while the US lags behind.
“Decisions and elections have consequences,” Nunn said, pointing to certain anti-crypto Democrats as he discussed the statistics for the upcoming midterm elections.
Nunn highlighted progress in Congress and the crypto sector, noting that the SEC under former Chairman Gary Gensler imposed fines in the millions of dollars for violations involving concepts that Gensler did not understand. Gensler was fired earlier in the Trump administration.
Lawler cited the GENIUS Act as a positive step but said Congress must establish a comprehensive regulatory framework for the government.
He cited Treasury Secretary Scott Besent’s op-ed in The Wall Street Journal and said that passing regulatory approvals would put America at the forefront of the digital asset space. Lawler said SEC rules should work in the best interest of the crypto industry.
As a New Yorker, Lawler said he wants the crypto industry to stay in New York and feel safe operating in the state.
‘Double taxation’ of bitcoin mining
Nunn criticized the double taxation of Bitcoin mining operations, asking why the US taxes Bitcoin mining differently than other types of mining. He said excessive taxes are creating new foreign startups and stressed the need to avoid making it difficult to do business in the United States.
The panel discussion reflected a broad shift in Republican attitudes toward digital assets, with lawmakers establishing crypto policy through the lens of national competition and individual financial freedom rather than consumer protection or financial stability concerns that dominated previous regulatory debates.
