Last week felt different. In our “we are going to DC next week” post, we set a simple plan. Meet lawmakers, share real stories, and push for practical crypto tax fixes. We did that and more. We said we would show up, and we showed up with a stronger voice than ever.
Crypto taxes are the most important fight because they touch everything. If the rules are confusing or punitive, builders leave, investors pause, and everyday payments stall. When the rules are clear and fair, compliance goes up and innovation stays in the US. I wrote about the need to prioritize crypto taxes and why it unlocks every other policy goal.
I am not a career political insider. I am a taxpayer, an attorney, and a dad who believes democracy works when regular people sit across the table from the people who write the rules. Last week proved that. People in DC are listening. They asked questions. They took notes. They asked for our suggestions. That only happened because you stepped forward, contributed your stories, and came with us. Thank you.
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Why this trip was different
A year ago we were explaining what crypto is and why it matters for American competitiveness. We hosted a private dinner in Nashville where fifteen clients spoke directly to Senator Blackburn about how taxes block everyday use. We met lawmakers in DC earlier this year to map a path forward. We kept publishing real audit stories, and I met with Treasury officials to comment on GENIUS and dollar-stable payments.
This time we returned with ten clients and a year of groundwork. We brought lived experience to the table. We translated it into sensible fixes. And we heard something new in response. Bring us language. Bring us examples. Help us get this right.
Highlights from meetings on both sides of the Capitol
We had a jam packed week, including seven meetings across both chambers. Senate Finance, House Ways and Means, the Majority Whip, and the Finance Chairman. We met in committee rooms and inside the Capitol. These meetings happened because of relationships we have been nurturing all year, and each conversation moved the ball forward.
The message was clear in every room. Crypto taxes are broken. They need to be fair, workable, and written for real people. Not just the largest platforms. Not just the simplest transactions. People who want to comply should be able to comply.
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Meeting the Majority Whip
Kicking off the week, we met with Majority Whip Tom Emmer at the Capitol. The meeting happened because of a relationship we have built over time. It started with a dinner in Chicago where we swapped stories and set a shared goal. Keep crypto tax practical and front of mind. We followed up with notes, case studies, and clear examples that his team could use in real conversations. That steady cadence mattered and when the calendar got tight, the door still opened.
Amid a live shutdown fight, we cleared security at the Capitol and sat down with Whip Emmer and two of our clients. With DC deep in a government shutdown, the political climate was tense, but the Whip made time. We discussed that crypto tax is a priority, not a side topic. Our clients explained how uncertainty pushes activity offshore and how a normal weekend of crypto trading can create a tax footprint that software cannot cleanly report. He asked focused questions, pushed for specifics, and came back to the same point. Policy clarity is moving. Taxes need to move first. We left with a commitment to keep sending real cases so his office can help turn stories into statute.
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Ways and Means staff, then and now
A few months ago I met with Ways and Means staff and wrote about it. We talked about policy principles and the need for clear rules that fit how crypto actually works. This time we brought even more strength - clients to share their specific fact patterns. That changed the discussion in two ways.
First, we walked through areas that had not gotten much attention so far, but impacted many of our clients. For areas such as liquidity pools and wrapped tokens, staffers have heard of these, but seeing a step-by-step example matters. We shared a cleaner path.
Second, we put new suggestions on the table. Most investors we meet want to get right with the IRS but do not know how to rebuild records or fear open-ended lookbacks. We need a compliance path with a limited lookback, predictable penalties for non-willful cases, and a good faith basis reconstruction safe harbor would raise compliance and reduce fear. The staff heard that and asked for more information. That is a gap we can help fill.
Senator Blackburn and a year of relationship building
The meeting with Sen Blackburn’s staff came from a foundation started last year with a dinner in Nashville. Fifteen clients around a table sharing with a United States senator why crypto matters to families and small businesses. It continued at the Bitcoin conference in Las Vegas, where we sat down for lunch with Sens Blackburn and Lummis and compared notes on tax timing for staking and mining. It kept moving in DC earlier this year, when we walked offices through de minimis, wash sales, and cost basis issues.
Last week, with Senator Blackburn’s staff, we brought it all together. We shared stories and potential fixes. They asked smart, detailed questions. We discussed policy areas that matter to you. They asked us to keep the suggestions flowing and to continue to coordinate with them so language is ready when the Finance Committee marks up a bill. We are part of the process because we built trust the right way. One conversation at a time.
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Inside Our Lunch with the Finance Chair
Our small-group lunch with Chairman Mike Crapo was a highlight of the trip. He leads the Senate Finance Committee, where any crypto tax bill will be written. He told us plainly that he wants to understand crypto, that he wants clear rules of the road, and that he wants to get it right. Then he listened.
What moved the room were the client stories. People who tried to comply and ended up in audits that made them feel like criminals for using modern tools. People who paused investing or moved activity abroad because the current rules do not match the technology. The Chairman asked for short, surgical adjustments tied to real fact patterns. Show us how to avoid taxing simple transactions. Show us how to give honest taxpayers a path back in. We left with optimism for crypto taxes and a new relationship.
Senate Finance Majority staff
This meeting built on our September visit that I wrote about. Back then we aligned on high level goals and the need for rules that reflect how crypto works day to day. This time we came back with client stories and practical fixes. Staff focused on what will move a bill forward and how to translate lived examples into clear definitions, simple reporting steps, and guidance that can be applied by investors without guesswork.
The conversation centered on outcomes. Make compliance easier for honest taxpayers. Keep the system neutral across different ways people hold and use digital assets. Preserve U.S. competitiveness so activity stays here. The tone was collaborative and results driven. We made clear that our team will remain a standing resource as crypto tax moves through committee.
Where we go from here
Our goal is simple. Make sure Main Street is heard as Congress drafts crypto tax legislation. We are now drafting and sending the follow ups each office requested. Based on what we heard, a crypto tax package could move to markup in the coming months so we need to continue to engage with lawmakers.
This entire week was the culmination of a year of planning. Private dinners. Roundtables. Comment letters. Case studies. Client voices. It worked. As we head into next year, we will formalize the schedule. Regular advocacy trips. Public drafts for feedback. Clear timelines. We will share dates and ways to participate soon so you can plan ahead for 2026.
If you want to help, add your voice. Share your fact patterns. Subscribe for the deep dives. Bring a friend to the next roundtable. Democracy only works when people show up. Last week, you showed up. DC listened.
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