A new law known as “Basic Blockchain Laws” or HB 639 was recently passed in New Hampshire. The law was signed by Governor Kelly Ayotte and is now being pushed by the New Hampshire Blockchain Council.
HB 639 details
This newly signed law aims to ensure people have the right to “self-custody” of their digital assets. Simply put, this allows people to own cryptocurrency in their own wallets instead of having to rely on a bank or exchange.
Furthermore, it protects the freedom of citizens to pay for legitimate goods and services with cryptocurrency without interference from federal, state, or local governments.
In addition, H.B. 639 It protects those who manage blockchain infrastructure from being unfairly caught in rules reserved for more established financial institutions. This includes activities such as running a node, mining, or staking.
In particular, it seeks to prevent such activities from being automatically classified as “money transfer” or “securities” activities.
What does this tell us about the cryptocurrency situation in New Hampshire?
Furthermore, it protects blockchain “validators” from legal action or liability simply for carrying out this verification task. Furthermore, the law creates a “blockchain dispute file,” which is essentially a specialized court process or procedure administered by judges or officials with expertise in blockchain.
The purpose of this process is to handle lawsuits related to blockchain and cryptocurrencies more quickly and predictably than a general court would.
This extends to the first statewide “Strategic Bitcoin Reserve” created by New Hampshire in May 2025. For those who don’t know, HB 302 was signed into law to allow the state treasurer to invest up to 5% of public funds in Bitcoin.
The head of the New Hampshire Blockchain Council is thinking about it
Commenting on this, Keith Ammon, President of the New Hampshire Blockchain Council and lead sponsor of the legislation, said:
With Governor Ayotte signing HB 639, New Hampshire has once again proven that it intends to lead the nation in blockchain technology innovation.
Ammon continued
Entrepreneurs, investors, developers, and innovators across America should know that New Hampshire is open for blockchain businesses.
Together, the two bills advance one goal. While HB 302 was introduced Bitcoin For the state, HB 639 establishes legal safeguards for individuals and businesses operating in the market.
This came as New Hampshire was also discussing plans for that Allow up to $100 million in taxable revenue bonds To be used to finance the purchase of Bitcoin by a borrower connected to CleanSpark.
If the financing is approved, it would be another example of how Bitcoin treasury tactics extend beyond traditional debt and equity markets.
Final summary
- HB 639 opens the door for individuals to own cryptocurrency in their own wallets instead of having to rely on a bank or exchange.
- This new law is very much in line with the state’s Bitcoin Strategic Reserve Bill, which works together to achieve one goal.
