; sense of Congress (a) Findings Congress finds the following: (1) Entrepreneurs and innovators are building and deploying this next generation of the internet. (2) Digital asset networks represent a new way for people to join together and cooperate with one another to undertake certain activities. (3) Digital assets have the potential to be the foundational building blocks of these networks, aligning the economic incentive for individuals to cooperate with one another to achieve a common purpose. (4) The digital asset ecosystem has the potential to grow our economy and improve everyday lives of Americans by facilitating collaboration through the use of technology to manage activities, allocate resources, and facilitate decision making. (5) Blockchain networks and the digital assets they empower provide creator control, enhance transparency, reduce transaction costs, and increase efficiency if proper protections are put in place for investors, consumers, our financial system, and our national security. (6) Blockchain technology facilitates new types of network participation which businesses in the United States may utilize in innovative ways. (7) Other digital asset companies are setting up their operations outside of the United States, where countries are establishing frameworks to embrace the potential of blockchain technology and digital assets and provide safeguards for consumers. (8) Digital assets, despite the purported anonymity, provide law enforcement with an exceptional tracing tool to identify illicit activity and bring criminals to justice. (9) The Financial Services Committee of the House of Representatives has held multiple hearings highlighting various risks that digital assets can pose to the financial markets, consumers, and investors that must be addressed as we seek to harness the benefits of these innovations. (b) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that— (1) the United States should seek to prioritize understanding the potential opportunities of the next generation of the internet