U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche Says Coders Not Knowingly Aiding Crime Will Not Be Charged

Todd Blanche says software developers who are not knowingly helping criminal activity will not face investigation or charges, signaling a shift in U.S. enforcement posture toward coding and crypto-related software development.

Summary

U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said software developers who build code without knowingly helping others commit crimes will not be investigated or charged. He added that authorities have "fundamentally changed the game," indicating a meaningful change in how the United States may approach enforcement involving coders and potentially crypto-related software tools. The statement is significant for the digital asset industry because developers of wallets, smart contracts (self-executing blockchain code), and other blockchain infrastructure have long watched how U.S. prosecutors define responsibility when software can be used by both lawful users and bad actors.

Terms & Concepts
  • smart contract: Self-executing blockchain code that runs automatically when preset conditions are met.
  • wallet software: Software that lets users store, send, and manage digital assets and blockchain-based tokens.
  • blockchain infrastructure: Core software and systems that support crypto networks, transactions, and decentralized applications.