A new bipartisan bill wants to ensure the next century of tech is written in America

Opinion Share Share this article Copy link X icon X (Twitter) LinkedIn Facebook Email A new bipartisan bill wants to ensure the next century of tech is written in America The Promoting Innovation in Blockchain Development Act is a high-stakes play to win the global code war. By Kristin Smith | Edited by Betsy Farber Feb 26, 2026, 8:00 p. m. Make us preferred on Google (Shutterstock) On Thursday, Congress took a small but significant step toward ensuring America remains the best place in the world to build. Bipartisan legislation – the Promoting Innovation in Blockchain Development Act of 2026 – would protect software developers from being swept up under criminal code Section 1960, a statute designed for money laundering, not innovation. For builders working in good faith on open-source software, that legal gray zone has cast a chill on American competitiveness. It is one bill. But the principle it embodies reaches further than any single piece of legislation – and it arrives at a pivotal moment.