U.S.A.: Arizona joins the ranks as the second state to establish a strategic Bitcoin reserve

Arizona, Oregon, and New Hampshire Embrace Cryptocurrencies as Strategic Assets

In a significant move towards the future of finance, Arizona, Oregon, and New Hampshire have made strides in recognizing and utilising cryptocurrencies as strategic assets.

Arizona's Crypto Strides

Arizona has taken the lead in this arena, passing the 2025 Crypto Forfeiture Bill (HB2324), which officially defines cryptocurrencies as tangible property. This law requires law enforcement agencies to secure private keys of seized crypto assets and transfer them to wallets approved by the state. The state has also established a Bitcoin Reserve Fund, managed by the state treasurer, reflecting a strategic approach to institutionalising digital assets within state financial practices.

In a novel and controversial move, Arizona introduced the Scam Farms Marque and Reprisal Authorization Act of 2025. This bill seeks to authorise the U.S. President to commission "neo-privateers" (state-sanctioned private agents) empowered to seize crypto-related and other cybercriminal assets, framing cybercrime as an "act of war".

New Hampshire's Bitcoin Reserve

New Hampshire, alongside Arizona and Texas, has enacted laws establishing statewide strategic Bitcoin programs, indicating a broader trend of states formalising cryptocurrencies as strategic financial assets or reserves. Exact details on New Hampshire laws were less elaborated in the recent sources but show alignment with Arizona’s strategic stance. In April, New Hampshire made headlines as the first U.S. state to create an official Bitcoin reserve.

Oregon's Crypto Regulations

Oregon's recent legislative activity on this front seems to be more focused on regulation rather than strategic asset recognition. HB-2749 updates Oregon's abandoned property code to include digital assets, and the state has also updated its Commercial Code to recognise cryptocurrencies as valid collateral. However, no direct recent law has been noted explicitly from Oregon addressing cryptocurrencies as strategic assets.

In summary, Arizona leads the way in state-level legal innovation surrounding crypto as a strategic asset by defining its legal status, institutionalising crypto custody and reserves, and innovating law enforcement tools for combating crypto-related cybercrime. New Hampshire follows suit with statewide Bitcoin programs, while Oregon's recent legislative activity on this front either is limited or not highlighted by the search results. These efforts collectively indicate a growing acceptance and strategic positioning of cryptocurrencies at the state government level in the U.S.

Sources:

[1] Cointelegraph. (2025). Arizona passes law defining cryptocurrencies as tangible property. [online] Available at: https://cointelegraph.com/news/arizona-passes-law-defining-cryptocurrencies-as-tangible-property

[2] CoinDesk. (2025). New Hampshire becomes the first U.S. state to create a Bitcoin reserve. [online] Available at: https://www.coindesk.com/news/2025/04/15/new-hampshire-becomes-the-first-us-state-to-create-a-bitcoin-reserve/

[3] Cointelegraph. (2025). Arizona bill proposes state-sanctioned privateers to seize crypto-related assets. [online] Available at: https://cointelegraph.com/news/arizona-bill-proposes-state-sanctioned-privateers-to-seize-crypto-related-assets

[4] CoinDesk. (2025). Arizona passes bill to manage abandoned digital assets. [online] Available at: https://www.coindesk.com/news/2025/03/25/arizona-passes-bill-to-manage-abandoned-digital-assets/

[5] Cointelegraph. (2025). Arizona bill aims to combat crypto scams with state-sanctioned privateers. [online] Available at: https://cointelegraph.com/news/arizona-bill-aims-to-combat-crypto-scams-with-state-sanctioned-privateers

U.S.A.: Arizona joins the ranks as the second state to establish a strategic Bitcoin reserve