Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Virtual Currency Consumer Protection Act of 2018”.
Virtual Currency Consumer Protection Act of 2018
A BILL
To promote fair and transparent virtual currency markets by examining the potential for price manipulation.
Sec. 2 Sense of the Congress
It is the sense of Congress that virtual currency could have a significant effect on the economy, and regulation of them may be important to protect investors, deter bad actors, create market certainty, and ensure American competitiveness in an evolving global marketplace.
Sec. 3 Study and report on the prevention of virtual currency price manipulation
In general— Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, in consultation with the heads of the Securities and Exchange Commission and other relevant Federal agencies (as determined by the Chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission), shall submit to the Committees on Agriculture and on Financial Services of the House of Representatives and the Committees on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry and on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate a report to promote fair and transparent virtual currency markets by examining the potential for price manipulation. The report shall include the following:
A brief description of—
methods by which persons could manipulate the price of virtual currencies;
which types of virtual currency, if any, are more susceptible to being manipulated; and
the effects on, and particular harm to, investors if price manipulation of virtual currencies occurs.
An analysis of the extent to which the regulatory authority of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and other relevant Federal agencies allows for—
market surveillance of virtual currencies for signs of manipulation; and
enforcement of Federal regulations against persons involved in any such manipulation.
Recommendations for any legislative changes needed to improve the ability of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and other relevant Federal agencies—
to carry out the monitoring and enforcement activities described in paragraph (2);
to prevent price manipulations of virtual currencies; and
to protect virtual currency investors from price manipulation.
Virtual currency defined— In this Act, the term virtual currency means a digital representation of value that does not have legal tender status and that functions as a medium of exchange, a unit of account, or a store of value.