Treasury's Cybersecurity Club Now Accepting Crypto Members—No Hacks Included (Probably)

The U.S. Department of the Treasury is finally letting crypto companies into the cybersecurity information party. The agency announced Thursday that it will extend its cyber threat-sharing program to eligible crypto businesses—a move that aims to help the industry defend against attacks as digital assets become a bigger piece of the financial puzzle.

The Office of Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructure Protection will include crypto participants on "timely, actionable cybersecurity information." Companies interested in the free service are encouraged to reach out directly. The exact criteria for "eligible" firms remains about as clear as a blockchain explorer during peak traffic.

The initiative follows a recommendation from the President's Working Group on Digital Asset Markets, which last year suggested various information-sharing strategies to combat cyber threats.

"By extending access to the same high-quality cybersecurity information used by traditional financial institutions, Treasury is helping promote a more secure and responsible digital asset ecosystem," said Luke Pettit, assistant secretary for financial institutions.

The timing seems fitting. The crypto space hasn't exactly had a quiet year on the security front. North Korean-linked hackers recently drained over $280 million from decentralized platform Drift. The Solana Foundation also announced new security measures this week following recent exploit attempts.

Billions in assets get stolen annually, with state-sponsored groups—particularly those linked to North Korea—doing a significant chunk of the heavy lifting in the theft department. Digital security remains a key talking point for U.S. lawmakers drafting legislation that would bring crypto into the regulated financial fold.