Kentucky Governor signs ‘Bitcoin Rights’ bill as states push crypto legislation

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear has signed House Bill 701, known as the “Bitcoin Rights” bill, into law, securing key protections for digital asset users in the state. 

The law ensures the right to self-custody, the ability to run blockchain nodes, and protection from discrimination against crypto mining operations.

Introduced by Representative Adam Bowling on February 19, the bill unanimously passed Kentucky’s House (91-0) on February 28 and Senate (37-0) on March 13 before being signed into law on March 24. 

The law also exempts crypto mining from money transmitter license requirements and prevents staking and mining activities from being classified as securities.

Meanwhile, Kentucky is considering another bill that would allow the state to allocate up to 10% of its excess reserves into Bitcoin (BTC). That proposal remains under review.

Other states are pushing pro- Bitcoin bills

Kentucky’s move comes as many other US states are advancing Bitcoin-related legislation. Montana advanced a bill that seeks to establish a reserve allowing investments in Bitcoin, precious metals, and stablecoins.

Oklahoma’s Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Act passed the State House of Representatives with a 77-15 vote and now moves to the Senate. A separate Oklahoma bill aims to allow residents to receive salaries in Bitcoin.

Arizona is also pushing forward with two bills — one creating a digital asset reserve from confiscated cryptocurrencies and another permitting up to 10% of state treasury funds to be allocated to Bitcoin. Both bills cleared the House Rules Committee on March 24 and are headed for a full House vote.

Bitcoin Laws, a group tracking digital asset legislation, notes that Oklahoma is now tied with Texas in the “State Bitcoin Reserve Race,” while Missouri is also reviewing a Bitcoin reserve proposal. The growing number of state-level initiatives reflects increasing legislative interest in digital assets across the U.S.