US Department of Justice hiring new director of digital currency enforcement

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The U.S. Department of Justice is preparing to hire a new director for its digital currency enforcement unit, part of its efforts to prevent the use of digital currency and digital assets for criminal purposes.

The National Cryptocurrency Enforcement team was set up with the specific remit of enforcing digital currency laws, with a director sought to head up “a team of experienced prosecutors investigating and prosecuting cryptocurrency cases as a central part of a nationwide enforcement effort to combat the use of cryptocurrency as an illicit tool.”

The position is currently being advertised on the Federal government’s job site, USAJobs, offering a salary of $144,128 to $172,500 depending on experience. The successful applicant will be expected to liaise with United States Attorney’s Offices and other enforcement agencies at a federal, state, and local level to effectively uphold the law concerning digital currency.

The new director will also be expected to work alongside the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and other similar agencies in shaping Bitcoin regulation in the country.

Announced by U.S. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, the new team comprises anti-money laundering and cybersecurity experts, who will be tasked with enforcing AML and other laws around digital currency transactions. The team will also be expected to identify instances of fraudulent and other illegal activity in and around the digital asset space.

It comes amid a wider crackdown in the U.S. and beyond over illegal uses of digital currency and digital assets, at a time when regulators worldwide are looking to ramp up the pressure against criminals, scammers, and fraudsters relying on digital currency to hide illegal activities as covered in CoinGeek’s Crypto Crime Cartel series.

According to the DOJ job listing, the successful applicant will lead a team “focused on supporting, investigating, and prosecuting crimes involving cryptocurrency and to lead the Department’s efforts to reduce the use of cryptocurrency as a criminal tool.”

Watch: CoinGeek New York panel, Investigating Criminal Activity on the Blockchain