Dear US Senators,
We, the members of the Bitcoin Veterans community—an organization of military veterans dedicated to empowering fellow service members through Bitcoin education, financial sovereignty, and opportunities for purpose after service—write to you today with a sense of urgency and duty. As veterans who have sworn to defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, we see the principles of Bitcoin, encryption, and cryptography as extensions of the freedoms we fought to protect. These innovations embody resilience, independence, and self-reliance, values forged in service to our nation.
We implore you to ensure that the Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act (BRCA) and robust developer protections are included—and treated as non-negotiable—in any market structure bill that advances to the Senate floor. These provisions are not mere technicalities; they are vital safeguards for open-source software (OSS) developers who drive innovation for the future. Without them, we risk eroding the very foundations of American liberty in the digital age.
Recent reports suggest that these critical protections could be stripped from the Senate markup bill in a hasty push to pass something before the Christmas recess. This would be a grave mistake. Developer protections are essential to uphold the civil and constitutional rights that guarantee privacy in cyberspace.
As We the People, we must be empowered by the First, Second, and Fourth Amendments to secure financial and digital privacy.
Under the First Amendment, code is speech. Developers creating open-source tools for privacy on the Internet are exercising their right to free expression, contributing to a marketplace of ideas that advances human knowledge and protects individual autonomy. Stripping these protections would silence innovators and stifle the free flow of information that has made America a beacon of progress.
The Second Amendment affirms the right to bear arms for self-defense. In the modern era, cryptographic tools serve as digital arms, enabling individuals to protect themselves against threats in cyberspace—be they cybercriminals, oppressive surveillance, or economic coercion. Just as our forebears recognized the necessity of personal defense, we must acknowledge that cryptography equips citizens to safeguard their lives, liberties, and pursuits of happiness in an increasingly interconnected world. You do not need to be in close proximity to another human to harm them in cyberspace.
The Fourth Amendment protects against unreasonable searches and seizures, ensuring the security of our persons, houses, papers, and effects. In the digital realm, this extends to our data, communications, and financial transactions. Without strong developer protections, unchecked regulatory overreach could lead to invasive surveillance, violating the privacy that is fundamental to a free society.
Cryptography and Bitcoin represent a new paradigm for human flourishing, empowering individuals with unprecedented control over their own data and finances. It fosters economic inclusion, innovation, and resilience against global uncertainties. Protecting this paradigm is not optional—it must be defended at all costs.
In the era of fifth-generation warfare—a form of conflict defined by non-kinetic actions such as information manipulation, cyberattacks, misinformation, and psychological operations—we face threats that transcend traditional battlefields. This borderless warfare exploits cognitive biases, wages economic and digital battles, and blurs the lines between peace and conflict. Enabling developers to create cryptographic shields in cyberspace is imperative, arming every citizen in America and around the world with tools to defend against these ephemeral assaults. These digital tools guarantee property rights that no amount of kinetic force can coerce, ensuring that personal sovereignty remains intact even in the face of coercion or seizure attempts by adversaries, foreign and domestic.
Moreover, this is a national security imperative. Failing to shield developers will drive talent overseas, ceding technological leadership to adversaries and weakening America's position in the global digital economy. By contrast, enshrining these protections will attract innovators, bolster our defenses against cyber threats, and ensure the United States remains the vanguard of freedom and prosperity.
We urge you to prioritize these developer protections in any forthcoming legislation, recognizing them as indispensable to preserving constitutional rights and securing our nation's future. As veterans and constituents, we are mobilizing our community to contact your offices and emphasize the stakes. Together, we can affirm America's commitment to liberty in the digital frontier.
Thank you for your leadership and service. We stand ready to provide further insights or testimony on this critical issue.
Sincerely,
The Bitcoin Veterans Community