Illinois may become first U.S. state with an official Bitcoin Reserve

Illinois may soon become the first U.S. state to hold Bitcoin in its fiscal reserves if lawmakers approve the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve proposal referred to Rules Committee by John Cabello.

On Jan. 29, the Bitcoin Strategic Bill was referred to the Rules Committee to establish regulations and fast-track its approval process. Illinois State Rep. John Cabello introduced the bill to set the groundwork for Bitcoin (BTC) to become the new strategic asset of Illinois. 

Bitcoin Reserve bill for Illinois

Under the new legislation, the Illinois State Treasurer would manage the fund and be permitted to accept gifts, grants, and donations of BTC from Illinois residents and governmental entities to make deposits. Upon entering the custody of the State, the bill proposes that BITC should be held for a minimum of five years.

After a five-year holding period, the State Treasurer may transfer, sell, or convert BTC into another cryptocurrency. In addition to allowing the hiring of the a treasurer to manage BTC, the bill includes language on managing and securing the fund, reporting on fund status. It will also allow Illinois residents to make voluntary donations in BTC to the State’s fund.

The legislation also allows the State Treasurer to adopt rules to administer this reserve. If passed, the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Act would go into effect immediately, potentially making Illinois the first of any U.S. state to implement a formal strategy around a Bitcoin reserve.

Growing adoption for Bitcoin reserves:

Cynthia Lummis, a longtime proponent of BTC in the U.S. Congress who has lobbied for a national Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, states that BTC could serve as a hedge against inflation and volatile economic conditions. On Jan. 30, she posted that she wants to hold public hearings on the Bitcoin Strategic Reserve. BTC-based reserves are growing popular among other institutions as well.

On Jan. 29, the Governor of the Czech National Bank, Aleš Michl, revealed that Czechia may be the first in Western Europe to hold BTC in its reserves. Michl suggested allocating as much as 5% of CNB’s €140 billion, which is $145.6 billion, reserves in BTC, a move that would represent the first step toward institutional crypto at the national level. 

Additionally, Governor Dan Patrick of Texas also announced that he intends to establish a “Texas Bitcoin Reserve” as one of his top legislative priorities for the 2025 session.