In the fast-paced world of crypto, where meme tokens can skyrocket overnight based on a viral tweet or a clever smart contract, developers have often walked a tightrope when it comes to legal risks. But recent remarks from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) could change that landscape for the better. Paul Grewal, Coinbase's Chief Legal Officer, took to X (formerly Twitter) to share some game-changing insights from a speech at the American Innovation Project Summit in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Grewal's 스레드 highlights a key takeaway: "merely writing code without ill intent is not a crime." This stems from the DOJ's Blanche Memo, issued earlier in April 2025 by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, which aims to end "regulation by prosecution" in the digital assets space. The memo shifts focus away from targeting crypto intermediaries and toward prosecuting actual bad actors who victimize investors or enable illicit activities.

The speech, delivered by Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti, builds on this foundation. For those unfamiliar, the Blanche Memo essentially tells prosecutors to stop using litigation as a backdoor way to regulate crypto. Instead, the DOJ will prioritize cases involving fraud, money laundering, or sanctions evasion—things that truly harm people or break serious laws.

밈 토큰 창작자에게 의미하는 바

Meme tokens, like Dogecoin-inspired projects or the latest Solana-based pumps, often rely on decentralized smart contracts that automate transactions without any central control. Think of them as self-running programs on the blockchain where users trade peer-to-peer, no middleman involved. Under the new guidance, if your software is "truly decentralized and solely automates peer-to-peer transactions," and you don't hold custody or control over users' assets, the DOJ won't approve charges against you under 18 U.S.C. § 1960(b)(1)(C). That's the federal law dealing with unlicensed money transmission, which has been a boogeyman for crypto devs in the past.

In simple terms: If you're a developer coding a fun meme token launcher or a DeFi protocol without intending to facilitate crimes, you're likely in the clear. The key is "specific intent"—you have to knowingly aim to aid illegal activities to face liability. Just contributing to open-source code? Not enough to get you in hot water.

This is huge for the meme economy. Many meme tokens start as community-driven experiments, with devs deploying contracts and letting the market take over. Past regulatory fears have stifled innovation, but this policy signals a more hands-off approach, encouraging builders to experiment without looking over their shoulder.

법률 용어 풀어보기

Let's unpack a few terms for clarity:

• 악의적 의도: 범죄자를 돕기 위해 의도적으로 도구를 만든 경우를 말합니다. 예를 들어 자금세탁 전용 도구를 개발한 경우가 여기에 해당합니다. 중립적인 코드가 오용될 가능성이 있다고 해서, 그 오용을 사전에 계획하지 않았다면 개발자 책임으로 보기 어렵습니다.

• 탈중앙화 소프트웨어: 단일 주체가 자금이나 운영을 통제하지 않는 프로토콜을 의미합니다. Uniswap과 유사한 DEX나 밈 토큰 거래를 지원하는 AMM 등이 예시입니다.

• 18 U.S.C. § 1960: 자금세탁 방지 관련 연방법입니다. (b)(1)(C) 항목은 불법 목적 또는 '더러운' 자금의 전송을 대상으로 합니다. DOJ는 여러분의 구조가 완전한 P2P이고 비수탁(non-custodial)이라면 이 조항으로 기소하지 않겠다고 밝힌 것입니다.

Galeotti는 또한 개발자들이 FinCEN의 비수탁 소프트웨어 관련 기존 지침을 근거로 '적법한 통지(fair notice)' 방어를 준비할 수 있다고 강조했습니다. 이는 구속력 있는 법은 아니지만, 검찰이 기소를 보류하는 데 고려될 수 있는 요소라는 의미입니다.

커뮤니티 반응과 더 넓은 영향

The crypto community on X lit up with responses to Grewal's thread. Anatoly Yakovenko, co-founder of Solana, chimed in asking about deploying smart contracts, while others celebrated it as a "huge win for devs." Even Ripple's CTO, David Schwartz, noted potential limitations but acknowledged the positive shift.

For blockchain practitioners diving into meme tokens, this means more freedom to innovate. Whether you're coding on Ethereum, Solana, or Base, the focus is now on bad actors—not the tech itself. Of course, this doesn't mean zero risks; fraud or scams will still draw scrutiny. But for honest devs, it's a breath of fresh air.

As meme tokens continue to blend humor, culture, and finance, policies like this could fuel the next wave of viral projects. Stay tuned to Meme Insider for more updates on how regulations are evolving to support—rather than hinder—the crypto revolution. If you're building something wild, remember: code smart, stay decentralized, and keep the intent pure.