The COIN Act prohibits federal officials and their immediate family members from engaging in financial transactions involving cryptocurrencies, digital assets, tokens, and payment stablecoins during their service, 180 days before taking office, and for two years after leaving office. The ban covers direct ownership, endorsements, sponsorships, and indirect interests through derivatives or fund investments where digital assets make up a significant portion. Violations carry civil penalties of up to $25,000 per violation, 10 percent of the financial interest's value, or any financial gain received—whichever is greatest—plus mandatory repayment of profits to the U.S. Treasury. Criminal penalties range from five to 15 years in prison depending on the violation's severity, with potential fines and disqualification from future office. The bill also requires federal officials to disclose cryptocurrency and digital asset holdings exceeding $1,000 in their ethics filings and mandates that payment stablecoin issuers certify quarterly that no public officials profit from their operations, with false certifications subject to federal fraud penalties. The Government Accountability Office must report within one year on updating federal ethics laws to incorporate new digital asset regulations.
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