Momentum is building among U.S. states aiming to enshrine Bitcoin as part of their financial strategy. On April 10, both New Hampshire’s House and Florida’s House Insurance and Banking Committee advanced bills that, if passed into law, would allow state treasuries to hold Bitcoin as a reserve asset.
Crypto-Fueled Treasuries
New Hampshire’s House narrowly passed its proposal, HB302, in a 192–179 vote. The bill will now move to the state Senate, making New Hampshire the fourth state to get this far in the legislative process—joining Arizona, Texas, and Oklahoma.
If it clears the Senate and is signed by Governor Kelly Ayotte, the bill would empower the state treasurer to allocate up to 10% of the general fund and other authorized reserves into Bitcoin and precious metals.
But the bill doesn’t throw the door open to all cryptocurrencies. Only digital assets with a market cap exceeding $500 billion would be eligible—meaning only Bitcoin currently qualifies. The bill also outlines custody protocols to protect these holdings, a point of contention during House debate.
Democratic Representative Terry Spahr questioned the need for the bill, pointing out that the state treasurer already possesses the authority to explore such investments. “Crypto is constantly evolving, and locking us into a fixed security framework may do more harm than good,” he warned.
But Republican Representative Jordan Ulery defended the move, arguing that Bitcoin reserves offer “the potential for a large amount of money being earned by the state.”
Florida Unanimously Backs Bitcoin Reserve Bill
Further south, Florida’s HB487 made its way through the House Insurance and Banking Committee with unanimous support. Like New Hampshire’s bill, it would authorize state financial leaders to invest up to 10% of certain state funds into Bitcoin.
The bill’s sponsor, Representative Webster Barnaby, made an impassioned plea before the vote, urging lawmakers to embrace the future: “Let’s put Florida on the leading edge of this very new technology.” The bill still faces two additional committee approvals before it can be voted on by the full House.
HB487 also provides the option to invest via qualified custodians or Bitcoin-based exchange-traded products and mandates security standards for storing the digital assets.
Arizona remains the frontrunner in the state-level Bitcoin reserve race. Two of its Bitcoin treasury bills—SB1373 and SB1025—cleared the House Rules Committee on March 24 and await a floor vote. All eyes are now on which state will be the first to officially hold Bitcoin as part of its financial reserves.