US Justice Department Appoints First National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Director

The US Department of Justice has announced the appointment of Eun Young Choi as the first director of the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team. Choi has been a DOJ prosecutor for nearly a decade and most recently served as senior counsel to the deputy attorney general. Choi will lead the NCET in investigating and prosecuting the criminal use of digital assets, and her appointment is the latest in an array of actions by the US government to increase oversight for cryptocurrency and digital assets.

In the announcement, Choi stated that "the NCET will play a pivotal role in ensuring that as the technology surrounding digital assets grows and evolves, the department in turn accelerates and expands its efforts to combat their illicit abuse by criminals of all kinds." According to the DOJ, the NCET was established to ensure that the department "meets the challenges posed by cryptocurrencies and digital assets." It focuses particularly on virtual currency exchanges,