A legislative wave to support digital currencies in America... Kentucky and Oklahoma at the forefront!

In a move that reflects the growing trend towards adopting digital assets in the United States, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear has signed the "Bitcoin Rights" bill (HB 701) into law, providing broad legal protection for digital currency users in the state.

The new law grants the right to self-custody of digital assets, operate blockchain nodes, and protects against discrimination against cryptocurrency mining operations. The law also exempts mining activity from money transmission licensing requirements and prevents the classification of storage and mining activities as securities.

The bill was introduced by Representative Adam Bowling on February 19 and received unanimous consent during the vote in the Kentucky House of Representatives with a result of (91-0) on February 28, then in the Senate with a result of (37-0) on March 13, before becoming official after the governor's signature on March 24. With the law now in effect, Kentucky is continuing to explore a new proposal that may allow the state to allocate 10% of its surplus reserves for investment in Bitcoin, which is still under review.

These developments are not limited to Kentucky, as several other U.S. states are witnessing legislative movements to support digital assets. Montana has introduced a bill to create an investment reserve that includes Bitcoin and stablecoins.