The post Wisconsin Lawmakers Push Cryptocurrency Clarity With Bill AB471 appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com. Assembly Bill 471 exempts blockchain operators from money transmitter licenses. The bill prohibits state and local governments from restricting users over crypto payments. Wisconsin legislation protects self-hosted wallets and digital asset staking activities. Wisconsin legislators have introduced Assembly Bill 471 to establish regulatory clarity for cryptocurrency and blockchain operations within the state. The bill was presented on September 29, 2025, by Representatives Neylon, Gustafson, Gundrum, Knodl, Kreibich, Krug, and Tranel. The legislation creates exemptions from money transmitter licensing requirements for several blockchain-related activities. Under current Wisconsin law, the Department of Financial Institutions regulates money transmitters, requiring licenses for businesses handling payment instruments and stored value. Assembly Bill 471 would exclude persons engaged in operating blockchain nodes, exchanging digital assets for other digital assets without fiat currency involvement, developing blockchain software, and conducting mining or staking operations. These activities would not need money transmitter licensing under the proposed framework. Government restrictions face limitations The bill prohibits both state agencies and political subdivisions including cities, villages, towns, and counties from restricting cryptocurrency usage. Governments cannot prevent individuals or businesses from accepting digital assets as payment for legal goods and services. Protection extends to self-custody solutions under the proposed legislation. State and local authorities cannot impair the ability of residents to hold digital assets using self-hosted wallets or hardware wallets, which allow users to maintain direct control over their cryptocurrency holdings. The bill defines blockchain as a technology where data is shared across networks, linked using cryptography, distributed among participants automatically, and composed of publicly available source code. Digital assets are defined as any digital representation of value recorded on cryptographically-secured distributed ledgers. Staking receives specific regulatory attention in the legislation. The bill defines staking as committing or locking digital assets to support blockchain protocol security and operations through proof-of-stake consensus mechanisms, either… The post Wisconsin Lawmakers Push Cryptocurrency Clarity With Bill AB471 appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com. Assembly Bill 471 exempts blockchain operators from money transmitter licenses. The bill prohibits state and local governments from restricting users over crypto payments. Wisconsin legislation protects self-hosted wallets and digital asset staking activities. Wisconsin legislators have introduced Assembly Bill 471 to establish regulatory clarity for cryptocurrency and blockchain operations within the state. The bill was presented on September 29, 2025, by Representatives Neylon, Gustafson, Gundrum, Knodl, Kreibich, Krug, and Tranel. The legislation creates exemptions from money transmitter licensing requirements for several blockchain-related activities. Under current Wisconsin law, the Department of Financial Institutions regulates money transmitters, requiring licenses for businesses handling payment instruments and stored value. Assembly Bill 471 would exclude persons engaged in operating blockchain nodes, exchanging digital assets for other digital assets without fiat currency involvement, developing blockchain software, and conducting mining or staking operations. These activities would not need money transmitter licensing under the proposed framework. Government restrictions face limitations The bill prohibits both state agencies and political subdivisions including cities, villages, towns, and counties from restricting cryptocurrency usage. Governments cannot prevent individuals or businesses from accepting digital assets as payment for legal goods and services. Protection extends to self-custody solutions under the proposed legislation. State and local authorities cannot impair the ability of residents to hold digital assets using self-hosted wallets or hardware wallets, which allow users to maintain direct control over their cryptocurrency holdings. The bill defines blockchain as a technology where data is shared across networks, linked using cryptography, distributed among participants automatically, and composed of publicly available source code. Digital assets are defined as any digital representation of value recorded on cryptographically-secured distributed ledgers. Staking receives specific regulatory attention in the legislation. The bill defines staking as committing or locking digital assets to support blockchain protocol security and operations through proof-of-stake consensus mechanisms, either…