Those working for the executive branch of the U.S. government must disclose their cryptocurrency holdings, ethics officials said Monday.
In a legal advisory released Monday, the U.S. Office of Government Ethics (OGE) clarified that digital currency is “property held … for investment or the production of income” instead of a “real” currency or legal tender.
The disclosure requirement is a major move, requiring members of the U.S. executive branch – officials working for the White House as well as the galaxy of federal agencies – to reveal their crypto holdings.
While the document doesn’t establish when the process began, the OGE indicated that it moved to craft the guidance because government officials have been ” increasingly seeking guidance from their ethics officials concerning their financial disclosure reporting obligations.”
In the future, officials wrote, actions by other government agencies could put the guidance in doubt and require further study.

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