Trump Media

US Representative Warren Davidson warns the US is drifting toward a permissioned and heavily surveilled financial system, arguing that recent crypto legislation undermines the industry’s original promise of permissionless, private money.
In a post on X on Wednesday, Davidson <a href="https://x.com/WarrenDavidson/status/2006385088162881709" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">criticized</a> the stablecoin-focused GENIUS Act, arguing it enables a wholesale version of a US dollar central bank digital currency (CBDC) that could be used for “surveillance, coercion, and control.”
He also fears a digital ID system will be rolled out that forces Americans to get government permission to use their own money.
“Do not be deceived,” Davidson said.
“We need to reject this globalist surveillance state and return to first principles,” he added, reminding his 86,600 X followers that <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/this-is-how-satoshi-nakamoto-envisioned-crypto-working" rel="sponsored">Bitcoin’s original promise</a> was less about being an illiquid, inflation-hedging asset, and more about being a permissionless, peer-to-peer payment system.
<figure>
 <img src="https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-01/019b76ec-121f-7c41-8591-929d4be48c7f.png" title="" alt="Digital ID, CBDCs risk turning US into ‘surveillance state,’ lawmaker says">
 <figcaption style="text-align: center;">
 Source: <a href="https://x.com/WarrenDavidson/status/2006385088162881709" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" title="https://x.com/WarrenDavidson/status/2006385088162881709">Warren Davidson</a>
 </figcaption>
</figure>
Davidson has been one of the fiercest advocates of permissionless money, self-custody and privacy in Congress since the Republican began representing Ohio in 2016. He has introduced various legislation aimed at <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/rep-davidson-to-introduce-legislation-to-fire-sec-boss-gensler-for-crypto-overreach">restricting state control</a> over crypto, <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/rep-davidson-to-introduce-legislation-to-fire-sec-boss-gensler-for-crypto-overreach">criminalizing CBDCs</a> and even one that sought to fire then Securities and Exchange Commission chair, <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/rep-davidson-to-introduce-legislation-to-fire-sec-boss-gensler-for-crypto-overreach">Gary Gensler.</a>
<h2 id="davidson-isn-t-alone-in-this-fight">Davidson isn’t alone in this fight</h2>
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene <a href="https://x.com/repmtg/status/2006410716551524473" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">said</a> she voted no to the GENIUS Act, arguing that it hands power over to the banks while opening a “back door” for a CBDC.
“The real danger lies in Digital ID, CBDC, and no self custody,” Greene said, echoing Davidson’s remarks.
<h2 id="clarity-act-more-promising-but-its-impact-may-be-limited">CLARITY Act more promising, but its impact may be limited</h2>
Both Davidson and Greene appeared more supportive of the CLARITY Act, which is awaiting passage in the Senate and is <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/banking-committee-market-structure-markup-january">expected to be marked up</a> in early 2026.
Related: <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/trump-media-release-reward-tokens">Trump Media plans 1:1 blockchain token rewards for shareholders</a>
“CLARITY promises to fix some of the deficiencies in GENIUS by protecting self-custody and incorporating other House provisions,” Davidson said.
But with the GENIUS Act in effect, Davidson said any changes to <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/australia-s-search-id-goes-into-force-ireland-lobbies-to-ban-anonymity">individual freedom</a> coming from the CLARITY Act will be largely cosmetic.
<blockquote data-ct-non-breakable="undefined">
 “The future of money will determine the future. Without massive divine intervention, that future looks permissioned, surveilled, and debased.”
</blockquote>
Magazine: <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/magazine/jack-dorsey-could-he-be-satoshi-nakamoto-big-questions/">6 reasons Jack Dorsey is definitely Satoshi… and 5 reasons he’s not</a>

Digital ID, CBDCs risk turning US into ‘surveillance state,’ lawmaker says

Table of Contents

Cointelegraph

Other articles published on Jan 1, 2026

Everything you need to know about how to earn more Binance Alpha points

Bybit Hack Leads to $325 Billion Crypto Loss

Viberate Boosts Music Analytics with VIB Token Platform

Ethereum and Aptos Rise in CoinDesk 20 Index Update

Bitcoin's Q4 Pattern Held For A Decade, Then 2025 Delivered A -23% Outlier

TRUMP Coin's $94M USDC Cash Out Raises Concerns

Join our free newsletter for daily crypto updates!