US agencies meet amid security concerns over digital currency

A Bitcoin trade group will meet today with the US Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network and an array of law-enforcement officials and regulators to discuss oversight of the digital currency.

Members of the Bitcoin Foundation will brief representatives of federal agencies including the FBI, IRS, Federal Reserve, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp and Secret Service on the nature of the virtual currency, created four years ago.

“It’s a kickoff of engagement,” said Peter Vessenes, chairman of the foundation’s board, who said that the meeting will be “standing-room only,” because of the high interest among government officials. “Right now, law enforcement would read a salacious story, and not know what’s going on. We can help them understand what’s going on.”