A vote from the Senate Commerce Committee concerning a bill designed to deregulate crypto mining in New Hampshire was divided on Thursday, following a notable increase in public feedback regarding the bill since its last discussion.
After two deadlocks—one on advancing the bill and another on rejecting it—the committee ultimately voted 4–2 to pass the measure for further review in interim study, as first reported by the New Hampshire Bulletin.
House Bill 639 would stop municipalities from setting restrictions on crypto mining, such as regulations concerning electricity consumption or noise, and bar state and local authorities from imposing taxes specific to digital assets.
If approved, the bill would also establish the right for individuals and businesses to mine cryptocurrencies and propose the creation of a dedicated blockchain docket within the state’s superior court, where crypto-related disputes would be adjudicated by a judge appointed by the governor.
During the bill’s initial vote in May, senators returned the measure to committee for language refinements and to gather more support. Sponsored by Republican Representative Keith Ammon, the bill is anticipated to reach the full Senate in 2026.
On Thursday, Senator Tara Reardon of Concord mentioned to the New Hampshire Bulletin that the proposal had elicited the highest number of emails she had ever received for a single bill.
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Crypto mining in the US
Crypto mining utilizes computing power to validate transactions and secure proof-of-work blockchains like Bitcoin, rewarding miners with newly issued coins.
Despite criticisms regarding its significant energy consumption and environmental consequences, the industry has evolved considerably since its inception.
A recent report from the MiCA Crypto Alliance and data firm Nodiens highlighted that the share of coal in Bitcoin mining has diminished from 63% in 2011 to 20% in 2024. Concurrently, the utilization of renewable energy in mining has consistently grown, averaging an annual increase of 5.8%.
Nevertheless, some US states are attempting to mitigate energy consumption through state taxes. On Oct. 2, New York State Senator Liz Krueger proposed a bill imposing a tiered excise tax on energy consumed by crypto mining operations.
This measure would exclude miners who consume up to 2.25 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year, while those consuming between 2.26 million and 5 million kWh would incur a 2-cent tax per kWh.
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