Crypto-Champion Congressman Blows Bitcoin Disclosure Deadline—Regulatory Theater or Willful Blindness?

Another day, another politician playing fast and loose with crypto transparency. A pro-Bitcoin lawmaker just skipped their mandatory disclosure deadline—raising eyebrows about whether D.C.’s ’tough talk’ on digital assets is just performative.

While retail traders get slapped with IRS audits for missing a $50 profit, it seems the rules get blurrier the closer you get to Capitol Hill. Maybe next they’ll ’forget’ to disclose their yacht purchases too.

One thing’s clear: When it comes to crypto accountability, Washington’s selective vision would make a Wall Street banker blush.

U.S. lawmakers have little crypto exposure

That said, about 19 politicians, mostly Republicans, own bitcoin and crypto-related stocks, according to data aggregated by Bitcoin Politicians. This data covered disclosures for the past two years.

According to a separate Reuters report in January 2025, Vice President J.D. Vance was among the 13 members who disclosed crypto holdings.

Vance reportedly owned about $250K-$500K BTC, but Senator Dave McCormick topped the list. The Senator, a former hedge fund manager, had $5 million worth of BTC, reportedly in Bitwise ETF. 

Excluding McCormick, Reuters reported that American political leaders owned less than $3 million of BTC as of January 2025. 

This ‘light’ exposure in the sector was contrary to the pro-crypto stance, especially amongst Republicans. 

Even so, Vance recently backed BTC and the sector as a hedge against bad policy, governance, and inflation. In a separate interview, the Vice President added, 

“Bitcoin is a digital store of value, consistent with the modern digital age we live in.” 

However, he acknowledged that, like any other new technology, BTC and blockchain have their risks but should be allowed to build and flourish for the market to decide their fate.