July 21, 2026

Hello Indivisible Citizens of Catawba Valley,

It’s another Take Action Tuesday from the ICCV Legislative Committee. Our focus this week is on another type of corruption taking place at the national level. Specifically, we’re talking about cryptocurrency, or “crypto.” 

Before turning to crypto, we would like to briefly address two important issues of the past several weeks:  

1.     This past Thursday evening, the president addressed the nation on the issue of elections.  Since his speech was largely a replay of old grievances and old news framed as though it was critical new intelligence, we are choosing not to amplify the lies. However, we strongly encourage you to seek trusted sources for information and to fact-check everything you read and hear, particularly coming from the internet. The United States does still have free and fair elections, and we will talk more about this in coming weeks. Start now making plans to vote and vote early. 

2.     Lorenzo Salgado Arauja. Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero. Fathers, workers, family men - both shot to death by ICE agents attempting a traffic stop. The atrocities are still being committed by poorly trained agents in the name of immigration enforcement. It’s time to hit the streets. Scroll down to find out about an action planned here in our area. **

https://www.theguardian.com/news/ng-interactive/2026/jul/19/ice-killings-immigration-crackdown

Moving on to cryptocurrency, we begin with a disclaimer: We are not experts on crypto; it is extremely difficult to understand, and very simple for crypto “experts” to exploit. 

Crypto is typically described as a digital asset. When purchasing crypto, there is no actual product. In essence, it is a gamble. The industry is minimally regulated and not covered by any federal or central bank. There is no FDIC  or other entity insuring cryptocurrency investments. Charles Schwab Investment explains how crypto works, summarizing: 

Cryptocurrency-related products carry a substantial level of risk and are not suitable for all investors. Cryptocurrency investments are relatively new, highly speculative, and may be subject to extreme price volatility, illiquidity, and increased risk of loss, including your entire investment in the fund. https://www.schwab.com/learn/story/cryptocurrencies-what-are-they

Senate leadership is working to pass the CLARITY Act (H.R. 3633) before the August recess.  Last year’s GENIUS Act (S. 1582) was more limited in scope, regulating primarily stablecoin (a type of cryptocurrency usually tied to a fixed asset, often the US dollar). https://www.fidelity.com/learning-center/trading-investing/what-is-a-stablecoin

The CLARITY Act has a broader focus and seeks to provide regulation around the use of cryptocurrency. However, the bill fails to protect consumers, does not close loopholes that would allow the use of crypto for money laundering, and does little to protect from fraud. A concern among Democratic lawmakers has to do with ethics, particularly around how elected officials, such as the president, can or should be involved in crypto businesses. This is a bad bill that should not pass. Some reports indicate it may come to the Senate floor this week, despite ongoing negotiations, Senator McConnell being out for health reasons, and the recent death and replacement of Senator Graham.

https://thehill.com/policy/technology/5963428-crypto-bill-clarity-act-make-or-break-congress

WHAT TO DO 

  1. Please feel free to share this information with your family and friends. The more we educate people about what our elected representatives are doing in our name, the better we can protect democracy. Consider holding a watch party of the film, “Everyone is Lying to You for Money.” It will be livestreamed on August 22 at 6:00 PM. https://www.everyoneislying.com/watch. 

  2.  Please contact your Senators with the following message: The CLARITY Act does not benefit consumers and the public, puts public and financial systems at risk, and does not address conflicts of interest and ethical concerns. Tell them to Vote “NO” if this bill comes to the floor. More info at https://5calls.org/issue/clarity-act-crypto-industry/

HOW TO DO IT

You can reach your US Senators here: 

- Senator Thom Tillis: (202) 224-6342

- Senator Ted Budd: (202) 224-3154

WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT

According to the Connecticut Department of Banking, investing in cryptocurrency is not protected by any government or central bank, i.e. no FDIC insurance. Meaning if the value declines, there is no protection. https://portal.ct.gov/dob/consumer/consumer-education/cryptocurrency-risks

Actor and filmmaker Ben McKenzie, testifying before Congress, called the crypto industry “the biggest Ponzi scheme in history.” In his documentary, “Everyone is Lying to You for Money,” he interviews crypto executives, as well as everyday individuals, many of whom lost their money to crypto scams. https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/05/cryptocurrency-bitcoin-documentary-everyone-is-lying-to-you-for-money-ben-mckenzie/

Earlier this month, McKenzie was a guest on Indivisible’s “What’s the Plan” where he warned of the dangers of the crypto market and urged members to reach out to Senators to oppose the CLARITY Act (H.R. 3633). 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWJb64QzI7M

https://indivisible.org/actions/stop-trumps-crypto-corruption/

This morning, as we are completing final edits, MSNOW published an opinion article by Carole House, an expert in security, digital assets and AI, in which she outlines concerns with the CLARITY Act, specifically a lack of accountability. The author expresses concern that the proposed law does not address how autonomous systems are held accountable, setting a precedent that could have far-reaching implications in the age of AI. https://www.ms.now/opinion/crypto-ai-regulation-bill-congress

We will hold our monthly meeting, this Thursday, July 23 at 6 PM at Unifour Church. 

**This Saturday, July 25, from 9 – 11 AM, join us as we stand in solidarity to remember those murdered by ICE. 2525 Hwy 70 SE, in front of Walmart, across from CVCC. This will be a silent, solemn vigil / protest. We hope to see you there! More info at:

https://www.indivisibleccv.org/calendar/ice-out-say-their-names

Thank you for everything you do to protect our democracy! 

ICCV Legislative Committee                                                                                                               

“With Liberty and Justice for ALL”