"We haven't figured out in the country or in the world how to trace cryptocurrency," one senator said, adding that "We've got to do a better job here."

Senators Urge Lawmakers to 'Do Better' in Regulating Cryptocurrencies
Two senators on the Intelligence Committee talked about the government's efforts to combat a growing problem of ransomware involving cryptocurrency in an interview with NBC News Sunday.

Senator Roy Blunt recalled that he and Senator Tom Carper were leading the effort to try to make reporting of ransomware attacks mandatory. However, he said that "there was a lot of pushback" because "Nobody wanted to report that they had been hacked."

He added: "That was a fight we've been having now for almost a decade. And the only way you can begin to get on top of this is to know how pervasive the problem is, try to develop a pattern." He emphasized that cryptocurrency should not be allowed to be "behind the scenes in the entire system."

The senator elaborated:

"We have a lot of cash requirements in our country, but we haven't figured out in the country or in the world how to trace cryptocurrency … We've got to do a better job here."