- New Hampshire’s House committee passed a Bitcoin reserve bill with a 16-1 vote, moving it to a full floor vote.
- The bill would allow the state treasurer to invest up to 5% of specified funds in digital assets with a market cap over $500 billion, effectively limiting it to Bitcoin.
- New Hampshire joins six other U.S. states advancing similar legislation, while Donald Trump has announced plans for a federal Crypto Strategic Reserve.
New Hampshire has taken a significant step toward becoming the latest U.S. state to establish a Bitcoin reserve. The state’s House Commerce and Consumer Affairs Committee overwhelmingly approved House Bill 302 in a 16-1 vote on March 5, advancing the legislation to the House floor for consideration.
The legislation, if enacted, would authorize New Hampshire’s state treasurer to allocate up to 5% from the general fund, revenue stabilization fund, or other legislature-approved funds into digital assets. While Bitcoin isn’t explicitly named in the bill, the legislation requires eligible digital assets to maintain an average market capitalization of at least $500 billion over the preceding calendar year – a threshold that currently only Bitcoin meets.
Republican Representative Keith Ammon introduced the bill on January 10, with bipartisan support from Democratic co-sponsors Chris McAleer and Carry Spier. During the March 5 committee session, Ammon noted that the bill had been amended to remove stablecoins and staking provisions. He also mentioned that New Hampshire Treasurer Monica Mezzapelle has expressed interest in utilizing the investment authority should the bill pass.
The original proposal sought to allow investments of up to 10% before being amended to the current 5% cap. Any digital assets acquired under the legislation would need to be held by a qualified custodian or in exchange-traded products. Additionally, the bill would permit investments in precious metals including Gold, silver, and platinum.
According to Bitcoin Laws, New Hampshire now joins six other states with active Bitcoin reserve legislation. North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Texas are awaiting full house votes, while Utah and two Arizona bills have already cleared that hurdle.
The state-level momentum comes as former President Donald Trump announced plans on March 2 for a federal Crypto Strategic Reserve that would include Bitcoin, Ether, XRP, Solana, and Cardano. However, Bitwise’s chief investment officer Matt Hougan suggested on March 5 that such a reserve would likely consist almost “entirely of Bitcoin.”
New Hampshire’s progress represents part of a growing trend of states exploring cryptocurrency investments for their treasuries, potentially creating a competitive environment as jurisdictions position themselves in the emerging digital asset economy.
✅ Follow BITNEWSBOT on Telegram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X.com, and Google News for instant updates.
Previous Articles:
- Law Firm Prepares Legal Challenge Against Turkey’s Cryptocurrency Payment Ban
- U.S. Begins Releasing Seized Chinese Crypto Mining Equipment While Most Remains in Custody
- Belarus President Lukashenko Proposes Cryptocurrency Mining to Utilize Excess Electricity
- Bitwise Files for Spot Aptos ETF in the US, Adding to Altcoin ETF Applications
- Bipartisan Bill Advancing to House Vote Aims to Counter China’s Influence in Wireless Standards
