New Hampshire is on the verge of becoming a national leader in cryptocurrency if its legislature follows through on recommendations made by a commission appointed by Governor Chris Sununu. The recommendations would establish a legal framework for blockchain and crypto businesses in the state, providing clarity and certainty to entrepreneurs and regulators while avoiding the onerous and largely pointless special rules federal regulators and members of Congress want to impose on the industry. The proposed rules would also protect consumers, depositors and investors. Blockchain businesses presently exist in something of a legal gray area in the United States. Congress has …

Chris Sununu, the governor of New Hampshire, has released the results of an investigation from a commission aimed at recommending legislation around digital assets and blockchain as part of a 2022 executive order. In a Jan. 19 announcement, Sununu said the Commission on Cryptocurrencies and Digital Assets had reported the legal and regulatory status of cryptocurrencies and digital assets was “highly uncertain,” stymying development and leading to less protection for investors and consumers. The group recommended New Hampshire establish a state legal regime aimed at drawing in blockchain firms and individuals. According to the report, sent to the governor on …

The New Hampshire House of Representatives passed a bill on Tuesday to adopt the new version of Chapter 12 of the Universal Commercial Code, or UCC, which will govern transfers of digital assets. The chapter is still in draft form, but if HB1503 is signed into law, New Hampshire will be the first U.S. state to adopt the chapter. Like the draft chapter of the UCC, the bill — titled “Exempting the developer, seller, or facilitator of the exchange of an open blockchain token from certain securities laws” — seeks to create a “workaround” to make it easier to buy …

Chris Sununu, who has served as the Governor of New Hampshire since 2017, has established a commission aimed at investigating the technology and laws around digital assets in addition to recommending new legislation. On Wednesday, the New Hampshire Governor’s office announced it would be issuing Executive Order 2022-1 to create the Governor's Commission on Cryptocurrencies and Digital Assets. Governor Sununu cited the “rising use and acceptance” of crypto as well as the growth of distributed ledger and blockchain technologies in his decision to establish the commission. According to the executive order, the crypto commission will have 180 days — until …

Lawmakers in the New Hampshire state legislature have killed a bill that would have allowed state agencies to accept cryptocurrencies as payment for taxes. On Jan. 8, the New Hampshire House of Representatives announced a decision to retract the bill, following a motion from the General Court’s Executive Departments and Administration Committee to deem the initiative as “inexpedient to legislate.” Bitcoin’s volatility was too high for state budgets According to public records, authorities considered the bill ineffective due to the high volatility of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC). If the bill was adopted, expenditures of the Department of Revenue Administration (DRA) …

Lawmakers in the U.S. state of New Hampshire are currently considering a bill to legalize payment of fees and taxes in Bitcoin (BTC), documents originally published on Jan. 3 reveal. NH HB470 is currently making its way through chambers of the local government, with a public hearing to introduce having took place yesterday, Jan. 23. A subcommittee is due to examine it on Jan. 29, with a due date for a decision set for Mar. 14, a summary of the bill’s passage confirms. Sponsored by Republicans Dennis Acton and Michael Yakubovich, the bill is the latest attempt to get New …

Political candidates in Colorado could soon accept Bitcoin or other digital currencies for their campaigns, according to reports by the Denver Post on May 17. Secretary of State Wayne Williams made the proposal for allowing donations of cryptocurrencies in political campaigns in draft rules presented on May 16, the Denver Post reports. The US Federal Election Commission (FEC) has already approved the acceptance of Bitcoin as in-kind donations for political campaigns, which gives the campaign 10 days to transfer the donated cryptocurrency into their campaign’s official depository. Donations in crypto would be treated as cash donations, the value being determined …

The Washington Post’s blog The Switch details how a state representative from New Hampshire raised campaign funds through Bitcoin. Rep. Mark Warden’s reelection campaign staff suggested the lawmaker open up to new forms of campaign contributions. It helps, I suppose, that New Hampshire already has a large community of Bitcoin advocates. In three days, Warden’s campaign raised 160 Bitcoins, which at that time last year was worth $1,600. That represented 14% of the candidate’s total fundraising for 2012’s election. Some of those funds came from users in other countries, excited to contribute to any politician who was giving at least …