New Hampshire delays crypto mining deregulation bill amid public concerns

A vote by the Senate Commerce Committee on a bill aimed at deregulating crypto mining in New Hampshire was split on Thursday, after senators reported that public feedback on the bill had increased since the last discussion.

After the impasse twice, once on the advancement of the project and again on the rejection, the committee finally voted 4-2 to send the measure for further revision in an interim study, as before. reported from the New Hampshire Bulletin.

House Bill 639 prevent municipalities from creating restrictions on crypto mining, such as rules regarding the use of electricity or noise, as well as prohibiting state and local authorities from a single tax on digital assets.

The bill, if approved, would also assert the right of individuals and companies to mine cryptocurrencies, and calls for the creation of a dedicated blockchain docket in the state’s highest court, where crypto-related disputes would be handled by a judge appointed by the governor.

During the first vote of the project in May, the senators returned the measure to the committee to refine its language and rally more support. The bill is sponsored by Republican Representative Keith Ammon and is expected to come before the full Senate in 2026.

On Thursday, Sen. Tara Reardon of Concord told the New Hampshire Bulletin that the proposal had generated the most e-mails she had ever received for a single bill.

Related: US crypto miners may face buying rigs in tariff break despite ‘clear disadvantage’

Crypto mining in the United States

Crypto mining uses computing power to verify transactions and secure proof-of-work blockchains like Bitcoin, rewarding miners with newly created coins in the process.

While he has been criticized for his high energy consumption and environmental impact, the industry has made substantial progress since the early days.

A new report from the MiCA Crypto Alliance and data company Nodiens found that the share of coal in Bitcoin mining has fallen from 63% in 2011 to 20% in 2024. In the same period, the use of renewable energy in mining has grown steadily, growing by an average of 5.8% per year.

However, some US states are trying to offset energy consumption with state taxes. On October 2, New York State Senator Liz Krueger introduced a bill to impose an excise tax on the energy used by crypto mining operations.

The measure exempts miners who consume up to 2.25 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year, while those using between 2.26 and 5 million kWh will face a fee of 2 cents per kWh.

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