IRS targets DeFi: Blockchain groups challenge new broker reporting rule

As a seasoned crypto investor with a decade of experience navigating the volatile and ever-evolving world of digital assets, I find this latest development between the blockchain advocacy organizations and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) intriguing.

Three well-known groups promoting the use of blockchain have taken legal action, contesting the Internal Revenue Service’s recent mandate for data reporting by brokers.

The groups contend that these regulations might significantly affect the United States’ digital asset industry, with a particular focus on Decentralized Finance (DeFi).

Together, The Blockchain Association, the Decentralized Finance Education Fund, and the Texas Blockchain Council submitted a lawsuit at the U.S. District Court located in the Northern District of Texas.

As a crypto investor, I believe that the final “broker” rulemaking by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Treasury Department may overstep their legal boundaries.

The lawsuit specifically targets the rule’s expansion of the “broker” definition to include providers of DeFi trading front-end services, despite these entities not directly facilitating transactions.

Kristin Smith, the CEO of the Blockchain Association, asserted that the broker rule is unconstitutional, claiming that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) may be infringing upon the Administrative Procedure Act.

Today, we are initiating a legal challenge by submitting a lawsuit that contends the current broker regulation infringes upon the Administrative Procedure Act and is unconstitutional. We align ourselves with America’s pioneers and remain committed to safeguarding the future of cryptocurrency and decentralized finance within our nation.

— Kristin Smith (@KMSmithDC) December 28, 2024

As per the Blockchain Association’s Head of Legal, Marisa Coppel, such an expansion might drive the entire rapidly growing technology overseas, all while encroaching upon the privacy of individuals who utilize decentralized technologies.

The CEO of DeFi Education Fund, Miller Whitehouse-Levine, voiced robust discontent over the timing and extent of the regulatory measures. He referred to this as “last-minute rulemaking,” which he believes poses a risk to financial advancement.

The organization emphasized DeFi’s potential to make financial services more accessible, efficient, and consumer-focused.

Texas Blockchain Council President Lee Bratcher underscored the impractical nature of compliance, pointing out that numerous entities within the decentralized network currently lack the ability to obtain the data now demanded by the Internal Revenue Service.

Bratcher pointed out that excessive regulation could push important technological advancements outside the U.S., potentially undermining American leadership in the digital market.

Following cautions expressed by multiple parties during the open discussion phase regarding the possible detrimental effects on the digital assets sector, a legal objection has arisen. Previously, Crypto.news reported that advocates of Decentralized Finance (DeFi) had pledged robust resistance against the IRS’s policies.

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2024-12-28 18:04