Florida Revives Bitcoin Reserve Push With New 2026 Bill

Bitcoin Magazine

Florida Revives Bitcoin Reserve Push With New 2026 Bill

Florida lawmakers have revived a push to put bitcoin on the state’s balance sheet, filing new legislation for the 2026 session that would create a state-run cryptocurrency reserve after a similar effort stalled last year.

House Bill 1039, filed Jan. 7 by Republican Rep. John Snyder, would establish a Strategic Cryptocurrency Reserve Fund that sits outside Florida’s main treasury. 

The proposal authorizes the state’s chief financial officer to invest public funds in digital assets under a set of guardrails that include audits, reporting requirements, and advisory oversight.

The bill marks a reset rather than a clean break. Florida lawmakers floated broader crypto investment proposals in 2025, but those measures were withdrawn after facing resistance over scope and risk. 

The new framework narrows the focus and reflects a growing preference among Republican lawmakers for treating bitcoin as a reserve-style asset rather than a speculative trade.

Under HB 1039, the CFO would have discretion over whether and when to invest. The bill does not mandate a minimum allocation. 

Earlier versions of Florida legislation proposed allowing up to 10% of certain state-managed funds to be invested in bitcoin. While the new bill revives that concept, it leaves deployment decisions to the CFO and places the reserve outside pension and retirement accounts.

The legislation includes requirements for independent audits and the creation of an advisory committee to guide investment strategy and risk management. Supporters say those provisions are meant to address concerns about volatility while still giving the state flexibility to act.

The renewed effort is closely tied to parallel legislation in the Senate. Republican Sen. Joe Gruters, a longtime bitcoin supporter and ally of President Donald Trump, has filed companion bills that lay out the trust structure and funding mechanics for the reserve. 

Together, the House and Senate measures would govern how Florida acquires, holds, and manages any digital assets.

Bitcoin as a financial hedge for Florida

While the bills do not explicitly name bitcoin, they effectively limit eligibility to it. Only digital assets that maintained an average market capitalization of at least $500 billion over the past 24 months would qualify. 

At present, bitcoin is the sole asset that meets that threshold, with a market cap above $1 trillion. Ethereum and other crypto fall well short.

Backers frame the proposal as a hedge rather than a bet. Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis has publicly described bitcoin as “digital gold” and said limited exposure could help diversify state-managed funds over long time horizons. The bill states that the reserve is intended to help protect public assets against inflation and currency debasement.

Florida’s approach mirrors moves in other states that have narrowed their focus to bitcoin after initial attempts to authorize broader crypto exposure. 

New Hampshire became the first state to explicitly allow public funds to be invested in crypto, granting its treasurer authority to allocate up to 5% of certain portfolios. 

Texas approved a small bitcoin ETF purchase in late 2025 as part of its own reserve strategy. 

Wyoming, meanwhile, has passed a slate of laws clarifying the legal status of digital assets without committing public funds.

The proposal also fits within Florida’s broader stance on digital money. In 2023, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation blocking central bank digital currencies from recognition under the state’s commercial code. 

The move positioned Florida as skeptical of federally issued digital money while remaining open to decentralized alternatives like bitcoin.

If passed, Florida would become one of the largest U.S. states to formally experiment with crypto as a reserve-class asset. Supporters argue that a tightly governed reserve could allow the state to gain exposure without putting core public funds at risk. Critics, however, point to bitcoin’s history of sharp price swings and question whether public money should be exposed at all.

HB 1039 and its Senate companions must clear committee hearings and floor votes during the 2026 legislative session. 

The bills include a conditional effective date of July 1, 2026, meaning implementation would only begin if the full legislative package is approved and signed into law.

This post Florida Revives Bitcoin Reserve Push With New 2026 Bill first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.