Michele Korver, the first-e'er chief digital currency advisor for the Fiscal Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), believes crypto assets are just another way of transferring value.

Speaking to Law360 on Thursday, the newly appointed Korver said cryptocurrency was "just another means of payment or value transfer that's developed over time, just like whatever financial applied science."

Korver offered a cool assessment of the digital asset sector, describing information technology equally a natural evolution. "Financial technologies evolve over time and the innovation of coin payments and value transfer will continue," she said. "The criminal use of the fiscal ecosystem will always exist too." She added:

"Personally, I've worked in this infinite for a long time, and I recollect these emerging technologies are absurd and interesting."

Korver was appointed to FinCEN at the start of July, post-obit a stint as digital currency counsel for the U.Due south. Department of Justice and a decade spent working every bit an assistant U.S. attorney in Colorado — where she was instrumental in bringing down the Bitcoin-powered drug trafficking organization, ItalianMafiaBrussels.

FinCEN is a bureau of the U.S. Department of the Treasury that is tasked with collecting and analyzing fiscal transaction data to combat domestic and international financial crimes such as coin laundering and terrorist financing.

In her electric current function, Korver volition advise FinCEN acting director Michael Mosier and deputy director AnnaLou Tirol in strategizing the prevention of illicit fiscal practices.

"For me specifically, I'll be assisting FinCEN with its responsibilities for enforcing the Bank Secrecy Deed every bit information technology relates to [Convertible Virtual Currency], digital currencies and blockchain technologies," she said.

"That includes ensuring compliance among those who provide financial services involving crypto or who serve every bit financial gatekeepers of these types of products and activities."

Korver believes that crypto has become a renewed focus for lawmakers due to the recent spate of ransomware attacks targeting high-profile U.S. companies and infrastructure.

Related: Sen. Warren urges Treasury Secretary Yellen to gainsay rising crypto threats

On Wednesday, President Biden signed a memorandum committing to strengthening cybersecurity for critical infrastructure post-obit the recent attacks.

The memo instructed the Department of Homeland Security and the Treasury Department to establish "cybersecurity operation goals" for all critical infrastructure sectors. It also established the Industrial Control Systems Cybersecurity Initiative to facilitate collaboration between the federal government and companies that run industrial command systems on security matters.