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March 09, 2022


EXECUTIVE ORDER ON ENSURING RESPONSIBLE DEVELOPMENT OF DIGITAL ASSETS

 1. Home
 2. Briefing Room
 3. Presidential Actions

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of
the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1.  Policy.  Advances in digital and distributed ledger technology for
financial services have led to dramatic growth in markets for digital assets,
with profound implications for the protection of consumers, investors, and
businesses, including data privacy and security; financial stability and
systemic risk; crime; national security; the ability to exercise human rights;
financial inclusion and equity; and energy demand and climate change.  In
November 2021, non‑state issued digital assets reached a combined market
capitalization of $3 trillion, up from approximately $14 billion in early
November 2016.  Monetary authorities globally are also exploring, and in some
cases introducing, central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). 
While many activities involving digital assets are within the scope of existing
domestic laws and regulations, an area where the United States has been a global
leader, growing development and adoption of digital assets and related
innovations, as well as inconsistent controls to defend against certain key
risks, necessitate an evolution and alignment of the United States Government
approach to digital assets.  The United States has an interest in responsible
financial innovation, expanding access to safe and affordable financial
services, and reducing the cost of domestic and cross-border funds transfers and
payments, including through the continued modernization of public payment
systems.  We must take strong steps to reduce the risks that digital assets
could pose to consumers, investors, and business protections; financial
stability and financial system integrity; combating and preventing crime and
illicit finance; national security; the ability to exercise human rights;
financial inclusion and equity; and climate change and pollution.

Sec. 2.  Objectives.  The principal policy objectives of the United States with
respect to digital assets are as follows:
           (a)  We must protect consumers, investors, and businesses in the
United States.  The unique and varied features of digital assets can pose
significant financial risks to consumers, investors, and businesses if
appropriate protections are not in place.  In the absence of sufficient
oversight and standards, firms providing digital asset services may provide
inadequate protections for sensitive financial data, custodial and other
arrangements relating to customer assets and funds, or disclosures of risks
associated with investment.  Cybersecurity and market failures at major digital
asset exchanges and trading platforms have resulted in billions of dollars in
losses.  The United States should ensure that safeguards are in place and
promote the responsible development of digital assets to protect consumers,
investors, and businesses; maintain privacy; and shield against arbitrary or
unlawful surveillance, which can contribute to human rights abuses.
           (b)  We must protect United States and global financial stability and
mitigate systemic risk.  Some digital asset trading platforms and service
providers have grown rapidly in size and complexity and may not be subject to or
in compliance with appropriate regulations or supervision.  Digital asset
issuers, exchanges and trading platforms, and intermediaries whose activities
may increase risks to financial stability, should, as appropriate, be subject to
and in compliance with regulatory and supervisory standards that govern
traditional market infrastructures and financial firms, in line with the general
principle of “same business, same risks, same rules.”  The new and unique uses
and functions that digital assets can facilitate may create additional economic
and financial risks requiring an evolution to a regulatory approach that
adequately addresses those risks.
           (c)  We must mitigate the illicit finance and national security risks
posed by misuse of digital assets.  Digital assets may pose significant illicit
finance risks, including money laundering, cybercrime and ransomware, narcotics
and human trafficking, and terrorism and proliferation financing.  Digital
assets may also be used as a tool to circumvent United States and foreign
financial sanctions regimes and other tools and authorities.  Further, while the
United States has been a leader in setting international standards for the
regulation and supervision of digital assets for anti‑money laundering and
countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT), poor or nonexistent
implementation of those standards in some jurisdictions abroad can present
significant illicit financing risks for the United States and global financial
systems.  Illicit actors, including the perpetrators of ransomware incidents and
other cybercrime, often launder and cash out of their illicit proceeds using
digital asset service providers in jurisdictions that have not yet effectively
implemented the international standards set by the inter-governmental Financial
Action Task Force (FATF).  The continued availability of service providers in
jurisdictions where international AML/CFT standards are not effectively
implemented enables financial activity without illicit finance controls.  Growth
in decentralized financial ecosystems, peer-to-peer payment activity, and
obscured blockchain ledgers without controls to mitigate illicit finance could
also present additional market and national security risks in the future.  The
United States must ensure appropriate controls and accountability for current
and future digital assets systems to promote high standards for transparency,
privacy, and security — including through regulatory, governance, and
technological measures — that counter illicit activities and preserve or enhance
the efficacy of our national security tools.  When digital assets are abused or
used in illicit ways, or undermine national security, it is in the national
interest to take actions to mitigate these illicit finance and national security
risks through regulation, oversight, law enforcement action, or use of other
United States Government authorities.
           (d)  We must reinforce United States leadership in the global
financial system and in technological and economic competitiveness, including
through the responsible development of payment innovations and digital assets. 
The United States has an interest in ensuring that it remains at the forefront
of responsible development and design of digital assets and the technology that
underpins new forms of payments and capital flows in the international financial
system, particularly in setting standards that promote:  democratic values; the
rule of law; privacy; the protection of consumers, investors, and businesses;
and interoperability with digital platforms, legacy architecture, and
international payment systems.  The United States derives significant economic
and national security benefits from the central role that the United States
dollar and United States financial institutions and markets play in the global
financial system.  Continued United States leadership in the global financial
system will sustain United States financial power and promote United States
economic interests.
           (e)  We must promote access to safe and affordable financial
services.  Many Americans are underbanked and the costs of cross-border money
transfers and payments are high.  The United States has a strong interest in
promoting responsible innovation that expands equitable access to financial
services, particularly for those Americans underserved by the traditional
banking system, including by making investments and domestic and cross-border
funds transfers and payments cheaper, faster, and safer, and by promoting
greater and more cost-efficient access to financial products and services.  The
United States also has an interest in ensuring that the benefits of financial
innovation are enjoyed equitably by all Americans and that any disparate impacts
of financial innovation are mitigated. 
           (f)  We must support technological advances that promote responsible
development and use of digital assets.  The technological architecture of
different digital assets has substantial implications for privacy, national
security, the operational security and resilience of financial systems, climate
change, the ability to exercise human rights, and other national goals.  The
United States has an interest in ensuring that digital asset technologies and
the digital payments ecosystem are developed, designed, and implemented in a
responsible manner that includes privacy and security in their architecture,
integrates features and controls that defend against illicit exploitation, and
reduces negative climate impacts and environmental pollution, as may result from
some cryptocurrency mining.

Sec. 3.  Coordination.  The Assistant to the President for National Security
Affairs (APNSA) and the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy (APEP)
shall coordinate, through the interagency process described in National Security
Memorandum 2 of February 4, 2021 (Renewing the National Security Council
System), the executive branch actions necessary to implement this order.  The
interagency process shall include, as appropriate:  the Secretary of State, the
Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Defense, the Attorney General, the
Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of Energy, the
Secretary of Homeland Security, the Administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, the
Director of National Intelligence, the Director of the Domestic Policy Council,
the Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, the Director of the Office of
Science and Technology Policy, the Administrator of the Office of Information
and Regulatory Affairs, the Director of the National Science Foundation, and the
Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development. 
Representatives of other executive departments and agencies (agencies) and other
senior officials may be invited to attend interagency meetings as appropriate,
including, with due respect for their regulatory independence, representatives
of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Consumer Financial
Protection Bureau (CFPB), the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the Securities and
Exchange Commission (SEC), the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), the
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Office of the Comptroller of the
Currency, and other Federal regulatory agencies.

Sec. 4.  Policy and Actions Related to United States Central Bank Digital
Currencies.  (a)  The policy of my Administration on a United States CBDC is as
follows:
                          (i)    Sovereign money is at the core of a
well-functioning financial system, macroeconomic stabilization policies, and
economic growth.  My Administration places the highest urgency on research and
development efforts into the potential design and deployment options of a United
States CBDC.  These efforts should include assessments of possible benefits and
risks for consumers, investors, and businesses; financial stability and systemic
risk; payment systems; national security; the ability to exercise human rights;
financial inclusion and equity; and the actions required to launch a United
States CBDC if doing so is deemed to be in the national interest. 
                          (ii)   My Administration sees merit in showcasing
United States leadership and participation in international fora related to
CBDCs and in multi‑country conversations and pilot projects involving CBDCs.
 Any future dollar payment system should be designed in a way that is consistent
with United States priorities (as outlined in section 4(a)(i) of this order) and
democratic values, including privacy protections, and that ensures the global
financial system has appropriate transparency, connectivity, and platform and
architecture interoperability or transferability, as appropriate.
                          (iii)  A United States CBDC may have the potential to
support efficient and low-cost transactions, particularly for cross‑border funds
transfers and payments, and to foster greater access to the financial system,
with fewer of the risks posed by private sector-administered digital assets.  A
United States CBDC that is interoperable with CBDCs issued by other monetary
authorities could facilitate faster and lower-cost cross-border payments and
potentially boost economic growth, support the continued centrality of the
United States within the international financial system, and help to protect the
unique role that the dollar plays in global finance.  There are also, however,
potential risks and downsides to consider.  We should prioritize timely
assessments of potential benefits and risks under various designs to ensure that
the United States remains a leader in the international financial system.
             (b)  Within 180 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of
the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, the Attorney General,
the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Director of
the Office of Management and Budget, the Director of National Intelligence, and
the heads of other relevant agencies, shall submit to the President a report on
the future of money and payment systems, including the conditions that drive
broad adoption of digital assets; the extent to which technological innovation
may influence these outcomes; and the implications for the United States
financial system, the modernization of and changes to payment systems, economic
growth, financial inclusion, and national security.  This report shall be
coordinated through the interagency process described in section 3 of this
order.  Based on the potential United States CBDC design options, this report
shall include an analysis of:
                          (i)    the potential implications of a United States
CBDC, based on the possible design choices, for national interests, including
implications for economic growth and stability;
                          (ii)   the potential implications a United States CBDC
might have on financial inclusion;
                          (iii)  the potential relationship between a CBDC and
private sector-administered digital assets;
                          (iv)   the future of sovereign and privately produced
money globally and implications for our financial system and democracy;
                          (v)    the extent to which foreign CBDCs could
displace existing currencies and alter the payment system in ways that could
undermine United States financial centrality;
                          (vi)   the potential implications for national
security and financial crime, including an analysis of illicit financing risks,
sanctions risks, other law enforcement and national security interests, and
implications for human rights; and
                          (vii)  an assessment of the effects that the growth of
foreign CBDCs may have on United States interests generally.
             (c)  The Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve
System (Chairman of the Federal Reserve) is encouraged to continue to research
and report on the extent to which CBDCs could improve the efficiency and reduce
the costs of existing and future payments systems, to continue to assess the
optimal form of a United States CBDC, and to develop a strategic plan for
Federal Reserve and broader United States Government action, as appropriate,
that evaluates the necessary steps and requirements for the potential
implementation and launch of a United States CBDC.  The Chairman of the Federal
Reserve is also encouraged to evaluate the extent to which a United States CBDC,
based on the potential design options, could enhance or impede the ability of
monetary policy to function effectively as a critical macroeconomic
stabilization tool.
             (d)  The Attorney General, in consultation with the Secretary of
the Treasury and the Chairman of the Federal Reserve, shall:
                          (i)   within 180 days of the date of this order,
provide to the President through the APNSA and APEP an assessment of whether
legislative changes would be necessary to issue a United States CBDC, should it
be deemed appropriate and in the national interest; and
                          (ii)  within 210 days of the date of this order,
provide to the President through the APNSA and the APEP a corresponding
legislative proposal, based on consideration of the report submitted by the
Secretary of the Treasury under section 4(b) of this order and any materials
developed by the Chairman of the Federal Reserve consistent with section 4(c) of
this order.

Sec. 5.  Measures to Protect Consumers, Investors, and Businesses.  (a)  The
increased use of digital assets and digital asset exchanges and trading
platforms may increase the risks of crimes such as fraud and theft, other
statutory and regulatory violations, privacy and data breaches, unfair and
abusive acts or practices, and other cyber incidents faced by consumers,
investors, and businesses.  The rise in use of digital assets, and differences
across communities, may also present disparate financial risk to less informed
market participants or exacerbate inequities.  It is critical to ensure that
digital assets do not pose undue risks to consumers, investors, or businesses,
and to put in place protections as a part of efforts to expand access to safe
and affordable financial services. 
             (b)  Consistent with the goals stated in section 5(a) of this
order:
                          (i)     Within 180 days of the date of this order, the
Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of Labor and the
heads of other relevant agencies, including, as appropriate, the heads of
independent regulatory agencies such as the FTC, the SEC, the CFTC, Federal
banking agencies, and the CFPB, shall submit to the President a report, or
section of the report required by section 4 of this order, on the implications
of developments and adoption of digital assets and changes in financial market
and payment system infrastructures for United States consumers, investors,
businesses, and for equitable economic growth.  One section of the report shall
address the conditions that would drive mass adoption of different types of
digital assets and the risks and opportunities such growth might present to
United States consumers, investors, and businesses, including a focus on how
technological innovation may impact these efforts and with an eye toward those
most vulnerable to disparate impacts.  The report shall also include policy
recommendations, including potential regulatory and legislative actions, as
appropriate, to protect United States consumers, investors, and businesses, and
support expanding access to safe and affordable financial services.  The report
shall be coordinated through the interagency process described in section 3 of
this order.
                          (ii)    Within 180 days of the date of this order, the
Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy and the Chief Technology
Officer of the United States, in consultation with the Secretary of the
Treasury, the Chairman of the Federal Reserve, and the heads of other relevant
agencies, shall submit to the President a technical evaluation of the
technological infrastructure, capacity, and expertise that would be necessary at
relevant agencies to facilitate and support the introduction of a CBDC system
should one be proposed.  The evaluation should specifically address the
technical risks of the various designs, including with respect to emerging and
future technological developments, such as quantum computing.  The evaluation
should also include any reflections or recommendations on how the inclusion of
digital assets in Federal processes may affect the work of the
United States Government and the provision of Government services, including
risks and benefits to cybersecurity, customer experience, and social‑safety‑net
programs.  The evaluation shall be coordinated through the interagency process
described in section 3 of this order. 
                          (iii)   Within 180 days of the date of this order, the
Attorney General, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury and the
Secretary of Homeland Security, shall submit to the President a report on the
role of law enforcement agencies in detecting, investigating, and prosecuting
criminal activity related to digital assets.  The report shall include any
recommendations on regulatory or legislative actions, as appropriate.
                          (iv)    The Attorney General, the Chair of the FTC,
and the Director of the CFPB are each encouraged to consider what, if any,
effects the growth of digital assets could have on competition policy.
                          (v)     The Chair of the FTC and the Director of the
CFPB are each encouraged to consider the extent to which privacy or consumer
protection measures within their respective jurisdictions may be used to protect
users of digital assets and whether additional measures may be needed.
                          (vi)    The Chair of the SEC, the Chairman of the
CFTC, the Chairman of the Federal Reserve, the Chairperson of the Board of
Directors of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and the Comptroller of
the Currency are each encouraged to consider the extent to which investor and
market protection measures within their respective jurisdictions may be used to
address the risks of digital assets and whether additional measures may be
needed.
                          (vii)   Within 180 days of the date of this order, the
Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, in consultation with
the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Energy, the Administrator of the
Environmental Protection Agency, the Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers,
the Assistant to the President and National Climate Advisor, and the heads of
other relevant agencies, shall submit a report to the President on the
connections between distributed ledger technology and short-, medium-, and
long-term economic and energy transitions; the potential for these technologies
to impede or advance efforts to tackle climate change at home and abroad; and
the impacts these technologies have on the environment.  This report shall be
coordinated through the interagency process described in section 3 of this
order.  The report should also address the effect of cryptocurrencies’ consensus
mechanisms on energy usage, including research into potential mitigating
measures and alternative mechanisms of consensus and the design tradeoffs those
may entail.  The report should specifically address:
                                       (A)  potential uses of blockchain that
could support monitoring or mitigating technologies to climate impacts, such as
exchanging of liabilities for greenhouse gas emissions, water, and other natural
or environmental assets; and
                                       (B)  implications for energy policy,
including as it relates to grid management and reliability, energy efficiency
incentives and standards, and sources of energy supply.
                          (viii)  Within 1 year of submission of the report
described in section 5(b)(vii) of this order, the Director of the Office of
Science and Technology Policy, in consultation with the Secretary of the
Treasury, the Secretary of Energy, the Administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency, the Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, and the heads
of other relevant agencies, shall update the report described in
section 5(b)(vii) of this order, including to address any knowledge gaps
identified in such report.

Sec. 6.  Actions to Promote Financial Stability, Mitigate Systemic Risk, and
Strengthen Market Integrity.  (a)  Financial regulators — including the SEC, the
CFTC, and the CFPB and Federal banking agencies — play critical roles in
establishing and overseeing protections across the financial system that
safeguard its integrity and promote its stability.  Since 2017, the Secretary of
the Treasury has convened the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) to
assess the financial stability risks and regulatory gaps posed by the ongoing
adoption of digital assets.  The United States must assess and take steps to
address risks that digital assets pose to financial stability and financial
market integrity. 
             (b)  Within 210 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of
the Treasury should convene the FSOC and produce a report outlining the specific
financial stability risks and regulatory gaps posed by various types of digital
assets and providing recommendations to address such risks.  As the Secretary of
the Treasury and the FSOC deem appropriate, the report should consider the
particular features of various types of digital assets and include
recommendations that address the identified financial stability risks posed by
these digital assets, including any proposals for additional or adjusted
regulation and supervision as well as for new legislation.  The report should
take account of the prior analyses and assessments of the FSOC, agencies, and
the President’s Working Group on Financial Markets, including the ongoing work
of the Federal banking agencies, as appropriate.

Sec. 7.  Actions to Limit Illicit Finance and Associated National Security
Risks.  (a)  Digital assets have facilitated sophisticated cybercrime‑related
financial networks and activity, including through ransomware activity.  The
growing use of digital assets in financial activity heightens risks of crimes
such as money laundering, terrorist and proliferation financing, fraud and theft
schemes, and corruption.  These illicit activities highlight the need for
ongoing scrutiny of the use of digital assets, the extent to which technological
innovation may impact such activities, and exploration of opportunities to
mitigate these risks through regulation, supervision, public‑private engagement,
oversight, and law enforcement.
             (b)  Within 90 days of submission to the Congress of the National
Strategy for Combating Terrorist and Other Illicit Financing, the Secretary of
the Treasury, the Secretary of State, the Attorney General, the Secretary of
Commerce, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Director of the Office of
Management and Budget, the Director of National Intelligence, and the heads of
other relevant agencies may each submit to the President supplemental annexes,
which may be classified or unclassified, to the Strategy offering additional
views on illicit finance risks posed by digital assets, including
cryptocurrencies, stablecoins, CBDCs, and trends in the use of digital assets by
illicit actors.
             (c)  Within 120 days of submission to the Congress of the National
Strategy for Combating Terrorist and Other Illicit Financing, the Secretary of
the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, the Attorney General,
the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Director of
the Office of Management and Budget, the Director of National Intelligence, and
the heads of other relevant agencies shall develop a coordinated action plan
based on the Strategy’s conclusions for mitigating the digital‑asset-related
illicit finance and national security risks addressed in the updated strategy. 
This action plan shall be coordinated through the interagency process described
in section 3 of this order.  The action plan shall address the role of law
enforcement and measures to increase financial services providers’ compliance
with AML/CFT obligations related to digital asset activities.
             (d)  Within 120 days following completion of all of the following
reports — the National Money Laundering Risk Assessment; the National Terrorist
Financing Risk Assessment; the National Proliferation Financing Risk Assessment;
and the updated National Strategy for Combating Terrorist and Other Illicit
Financing — the Secretary of the Treasury shall notify the relevant agencies
through the interagency process described in section 3 of this order on any
pending, proposed, or prospective rulemakings to address digital asset illicit
finance risks.  The Secretary of the Treasury shall consult with and consider
the perspectives of relevant agencies in evaluating opportunities to mitigate
such risks through regulation.

Sec. 8.  Policy and Actions Related to Fostering International Cooperation and
United States Competitiveness.  (a)  The policy of my Administration on
fostering international cooperation and United States competitiveness with
respect to digital assets and financial innovation is as follows:
                          (i)    Technology-driven financial innovation is
frequently cross-border and therefore requires international cooperation among
public authorities.  This cooperation is critical to maintaining high regulatory
standards and a level playing field.  Uneven regulation, supervision, and
compliance across jurisdictions creates opportunities for arbitrage and raises
risks to financial stability and the protection of consumers, investors,
businesses, and markets.  Inadequate AML/CFT regulation, supervision, and
enforcement by other countries challenges the ability of the United States to
investigate illicit digital asset transaction flows that frequently jump
overseas, as is often the case in ransomware payments and other
cybercrime-related money laundering.  There must also be cooperation to reduce
inefficiencies in international funds transfer and payment systems.
                          (ii)   The United States Government has been active in
international fora and through bilateral partnerships on many of these issues
and has a robust agenda to continue this work in the coming years.  While the
United States held the position of President of the FATF, the United States led
the group in developing and adopting the first international standards on
digital assets.  The United States must continue to work with international
partners on standards for the development and appropriate interoperability of
digital payment architectures and CBDCs to reduce payment inefficiencies and
ensure that any new funds transfer and payment systems are consistent with
United States values and legal requirements.
                          (iii)  While the United States held the position of
President of the 2020 G7, the United States established the G7 Digital Payments
Experts Group to discuss CBDCs, stablecoins, and other digital payment issues. 
The G7 report outlining a set of policy principles for CBDCs is an important
contribution to establishing guidelines for jurisdictions for the exploration
and potential development of CBDCs.  While a CBDC would be issued by a country’s
central bank, the supporting infrastructure could involve both public and
private participants.  The G7 report highlighted that any CBDC should be
grounded in the G7’s long-standing public commitments to transparency, the rule
of law, and sound economic governance, as well as the promotion of competition
and innovation.
                          (iv)   The United States continues to support the G20
roadmap for addressing challenges and frictions with cross-border funds
transfers and payments for which work is underway, including work on
improvements to existing systems for cross-border funds transfers and payments,
the international dimensions of CBDC designs, and the potential of
well-regulated stablecoin arrangements.  The international Financial Stability
Board (FSB), together with standard-setting bodies, is leading work on issues
related to stablecoins, cross‑border funds transfers and payments, and other
international dimensions of digital assets and payments, while FATF continues
its leadership in setting AML/CFT standards for digital assets.  Such
international work should continue to address the full spectrum of issues and
challenges raised by digital assets, including financial stability, consumer,
investor, and business risks, and money laundering, terrorist financing,
proliferation financing, sanctions evasion, and other illicit activities. 
                          (v)    My Administration will elevate the importance
of these topics and expand engagement with our critical international partners,
including through fora such as the G7, G20, FATF, and FSB.  My Administration
will support the ongoing international work and, where appropriate, push for
additional work to drive development and implementation of holistic standards,
cooperation and coordination, and information sharing.  With respect to digital
assets, my Administration will seek to ensure that our core democratic values
are respected; consumers, investors, and businesses are protected; appropriate
global financial system connectivity and platform and architecture
interoperability are preserved; and the safety and soundness of the global
financial system and international monetary system are maintained.
             (b) In furtherance of the policy stated in section 8(a) of this
order:
                          (i)    Within 120 days of the date of this order, the
Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, the
Secretary of Commerce, the Administrator of the United States Agency for
International Development, and the heads of other relevant agencies, shall
establish a framework for interagency international engagement with foreign
counterparts and in international fora to, as appropriate, adapt, update, and
enhance adoption of global principles and standards for how digital assets are
used and transacted, and to promote development of digital asset and CBDC
technologies consistent with our values and legal requirements.  This framework
shall be coordinated through the interagency process described in section 3 of
this order.  This framework shall include specific and prioritized lines of
effort and coordinated messaging; interagency engagement and activities with
foreign partners, such as foreign assistance and capacity-building efforts and
coordination of global compliance; and whole‑of‑government efforts to promote
international principles, standards, and best practices.  This framework should
reflect ongoing leadership by the Secretary of the Treasury and financial
regulators in relevant international financial standards bodies, and should
elevate United States engagement on digital assets issues in technical standards
bodies and other international fora to promote development of digital asset and
CBDC technologies consistent with our values.
                          (ii)   Within 1 year of the date of the establishment
of the framework required by section 8(b)(i) of this order, the Secretary of the
Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of
Commerce, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, the Administrator
of the United States Agency for International Development, and the heads of
other relevant agencies as appropriate, shall submit a report to the President
on priority actions taken under the framework and its effectiveness.  This
report shall be coordinated through the interagency process described in section
3 of this order.
                          (iii)  Within 180 days of the date of this order, the
Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the Secretary of State, the
Secretary of the Treasury, and the heads of other relevant agencies, shall
establish a framework for enhancing United States economic competitiveness in,
and leveraging of, digital asset technologies.  This framework shall be
coordinated through the interagency process described in section 3 of this
order.
                          (iv)   Within 90 days of the date of this order, the
Attorney General, in consultation with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of
the Treasury, and the Secretary of Homeland Security, shall submit a report to
the President on how to strengthen international law enforcement cooperation for
detecting, investigating, and prosecuting criminal activity related to digital
assets.

Sec. 9.  Definitions.  For the purposes of this order:
             (a)  The term “blockchain” refers to distributed ledger
technologies where data is shared across a network that creates a digital ledger
of verified transactions or information among network participants and the data
are typically linked using cryptography to maintain the integrity of the ledger
and execute other functions, including transfer of ownership or value.
             (b)  The term “central bank digital currency” or “CBDC” refers to a
form of digital money or monetary value, denominated in the national unit of
account, that is a direct liability of the central bank.
             (c)  The term “cryptocurrencies” refers to a digital asset, which
may be a medium of exchange, for which generation or ownership records are
supported through a distributed ledger technology that relies on cryptography,
such as a blockchain.
             (d)  The term “digital assets” refers to all CBDCs, regardless of
the technology used, and to other representations of value, financial assets and
instruments, or claims that are used to make payments or investments, or to
transmit or exchange funds or the equivalent thereof, that are issued or
represented in digital form through the use of distributed ledger technology. 
For example, digital assets include cryptocurrencies, stablecoins, and CBDCs.
 Regardless of the label used, a digital asset may be, among other things, a
security, a commodity, a derivative, or other financial product.  Digital assets
may be exchanged across digital asset trading platforms, including centralized
and decentralized finance platforms, or through peer-to-peer technologies.
             (e)  The term “stablecoins” refers to a category of
cryptocurrencies with mechanisms that are aimed at maintaining a stable value,
such as by pegging the value of the coin to a specific currency, asset, or pool
of assets or by algorithmically controlling supply in response to changes in
demand in order to stabilize value.

Sec. 10.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to
impair or otherwise affect:
                          (i)   the authority granted by law to an executive
department or agency, or the head thereof; or
                          (ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of
Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative
proposals.
             (b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law
and subject to the availability of appropriations.
             (c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right
or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any
party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its
officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.


                             JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.
 

THE WHITE HOUSE,
March 9, 2022.

Next Post: Background Press Call by Senior Administration Officials on the
President's New Digital Assets Executive Order Background Press Call by Senior
Administration Officials on the President's New Digital Assets Executive Order
March 09, 2022 • Press Briefings
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