But here’s a problem: Congress is racing to set up a regulatory framework for crypto markets while leaving unresolved clear loopholes that criminals already exploit to move and hide dirty money. If Congress doesn’t close those gaps now, it won’t just be setting rules for a fast-moving market, it will be writing the next chapter in how dirty money moves around the world.

I work at Transparency International U.S., a nonprofit that’s part of the world’s oldest and largest anti-corruption network. We spend a lot of time tracking how corrupt officials steal from their citizens, then move and hide that money globally. In many real-world cases, crypto is already part of that playbook.