HR1664-119

What This Bill Does

The Deploying American Blockchains Act of 2025 makes the Secretary of Commerce a principal adviser to the President on deployment, use, application, and competitiveness of blockchain technology, other distributed ledger technology, applications, tokens, and tokenization. It defines blockchain technology as a shared distributed digital database linked by cryptography and updated across network participants, defines token and tokenization, and excludes non-federal governments from the covered nongovernmental representative definition. Commerce must develop policies and recommendations on decentralized identity, cybersecurity, key storage, artificial intelligence, fraud reduction, regulatory compliance, e-commerce, health care applications, and supply-chain resiliency; support stability, maintenance, improvement, and security; establish a Blockchain Deployment Program; promote national and economic security; examine how federal agencies use or could use blockchain; evaluate federal preparedness and security needs; coordinate federal blockchain security activities; and establish advisory committees within 180 days. Advisory membership includes Commerce, federal agencies, infrastructure operators, suppliers, service providers, vendors, application developers, public blockchain organizations, industrial sector experts, businesses of all sizes, think tanks, academia, nonprofits, consumer groups, cybersecurity experts, rural stakeholders, artists, and content creators. Commerce must facilitate best practices for deployment, interoperability, hashing, key storage, risk reduction, uncertainty reduction, and value or cost-savings analysis; consult private-sector stakeholders; support open-source infrastructure, data management, authentication, and common terminology; and consider small businesses plus federal, state, and local governments. The program sunsets seven years after enactment. Beginning two years after enactment, Commerce must publish annual reports to House Energy and Commerce and Senate Commerce on activities, legislative recommendations, and emerging risks and trends.

Who Benefits and How

Blockchain infrastructure operators, application developers, public blockchain organizations, cybersecurity experts, supply-chain technology providers, e-commerce firms, health care technology developers, small businesses, rural stakeholders, artists, content creators, academic researchers, nonprofit organizations, consumer groups, and federal agencies exploring blockchain use benefit from a Commerce-led advisory and best-practices process. The program can reduce uncertainty around terminology, interoperability, key storage, cybersecurity, federal adoption, and cost-saving claims without requiring private entities to share information, seek assistance, implement Commerce recommendations, or adopt the best practices.

Who Bears the Burden and How

The Department of Commerce, Commerce blockchain program staff, Secretary of Commerce, federal agency representatives, advisory committee managers, public engagement staff, cybersecurity policy staff, annual report writers, and congressional commerce committees must stand up the program, convene advisory committees, coordinate across agencies, consult stakeholders, develop best practices, publish research and terminology, analyze emerging risks, and report annually. Federal agencies may face added scrutiny of readiness, security measures, and current or future blockchain use.

Key Provisions

• Defines blockchain technology, distributed ledger technology, token, tokenization, covered nongovernmental representatives, Secretary, and State.
• Designates the Commerce Secretary as a principal presidential adviser on blockchain, tokens, tokenization, and distributed-ledger policy.
• Establishes a Blockchain Deployment Program in the Department of Commerce that terminates after seven years.
• Requires Commerce to develop policies on decentralized identity, cybersecurity, key storage, AI, fraud reduction, regulatory compliance, e-commerce, health care, and supply chains.
• Requires advisory committees within 180 days with federal, private-sector, nonprofit, academic, cybersecurity, rural, artist, and consumer representatives.
• Requires best practices on deployment, interoperability, hashing, key storage, risk reduction, uncertainty reduction, and value or cost-savings analysis.
• Requires public annual reports beginning two years after enactment on activities, legislative recommendations, emerging risks, and long-term trends.