New Hampshire HB 639: relative to the use of and disputes over blockchain and digital currencies.

Bill Text

HB 639-FN - AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE

13Mar2025... 0445h

02/05/2026 0291s

03/12/2026 1048s

03/12/2026 1169s

2025 SESSION

 25-0715

 07/11

HOUSE BILL 639-FN

AN ACT relative to the use of and disputes over blockchain and digital currencies.

SPONSORS: Rep. Ammon, Hills. 42; Rep. Beaulier, Graf. 1; Rep. Osborne, Rock. 2; Rep. Alexander Jr., Hills. 29; Rep. Sweeney, Rock. 25; Rep. Warden, Hills. 39; Sen. Avard, Dist 12

COMMITTEE: Commerce and Consumer Affairs

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AMENDED ANALYSIS

 This bill:

 I. Creates an act to protect blockchain technology and its users.

 II. Establishes a blockchain dispute docket to oversee blockchain-related disputes.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

 Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

 Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

13Mar2025... 0445h

02/19/2026 0291s

03/12/2026 1048s

03/12/2026 1169s 25-0715

 07/11

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Five

AN ACT relative to the use of and disputes over blockchain and digital currencies.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

 1 Purpose and Findings. The general court makes the following findings:

 I. The general court adopts the findings of the Report of Governor Sununu’s Commission on Cryptocurrency and Digital Assets.

 II. The general court hereby finds that:

 (a) Blockchain technology is an important technical innovation with many important applications for our state and national society and economy.

 (b) The uncertain legal and regulatory status of blockchain technologies undermines investor and consumer confidence and stifles beneficial innovation.

 (c) New Hampshire should establish a state legal regime that offers an attractive jurisdiction for the best responsible blockchain innovators, entrepreneurs, and businesses while protecting their investors and consumers.

 (d) New Hampshire is a unique state. Our citizen legislature has proven itself to have the unique capacity to undertake prompt and regular modernization of legal systems that often take other states decades. New Hampshire should play a leading role now, as Blockchain technology continues to develop its place within our global economic system.

 III. The general court seeks to implement key recommendations from the Report of Governor Sununu's Commission and to make New Hampshire an attractive jurisdiction for blockchain-related business and innovation, thereby:

 (a) Promoting investment and development in New Hampshire; and

 (b) Establishing a leading role for New Hampshire in fostering the blockchain industry and developing a legal regime protecting blockchain technology.

 2 Short Title. This act shall be known as "The Blockchain Basic Laws."

 3 New Chapter; Blockchain Basic Laws. Amend RSA by inserting after chapter 359-U the following new chapter:

CHAPTER 359-V

BLOCKCHAIN BASIC LAWS

 359-V:1 Definitions. 

 In this chapter:

 I. "Blockchain" means any technology:

 (a) Where data is:

 (1) Shared across a network to create a public ledger of verified transactions or information among network participants;

 (2) Linked using cryptography to maintain the integrity of the public ledger and to execute other functions; and

 (3) Distributed among network participants in an automated fashion to concurrently update network participants on the state of the public ledger and any other functions; and

 (b) Composed of source code that is publicly available.

 II. “Blockchain protocol” means any executable software deployed to a blockchain composed of source code that is publicly available and accessible, including a smart contract or any network of smart contracts.

 III. “Decentralized” means a blockchain system in which no person has the unilateral authority, directly or indirectly, through any contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship, or otherwise, to control or materially alter the functionality or operation of the blockchain system.

 IV. “Digital asset” means any fungible or non-fungible digital representation of value, unit of value, voting, or usage right that can be exclusively possessed and transferred, person to person, without necessary reliance on an intermediary, and is recorded on a blockchain system. This includes virtual currencies, cryptocurrencies, natively electronic assets (such as stablecoins and non-fungible tokens), and other digital-only assets that confer economic, proprietary, access rights, or powers.

 V. "Digital asset exchange" means any platform or network established for purchasing, selling, staking, or exchanging digital assets. 

 VI. “Digital asset mi