Landmark Bill Protecting Bitcoin Mining Rights Passes in Arizona
Key Takeaways:
- HB 2342 has passed the Arizona Senate, protecting home-based Bitcoin miners and node operators.
- The measure preempts local zoning laws related to digital asset activities.
- Protections over “computational power” also apply to AI, cloud computing, and scientific research, for instance.
Arizona Senate Passes Bill Protecting Bitcoin Mining, Node Operations
By taking this step, Arizona reinforces its support for blockchain innovation and individual rights in the digital era. On April 10, the state Senate moved to approve House Bill 2342 (HB 2342), which seeks to protect people running personal computing power facilities — including Bitcoin miners and blockchain node operators — from interference by local authorities. The bill passed 17–12 and now awaits Governor Katie Hobbs’ signature to become law.
If signed into law, Arizona will join with only a handful of other U.S. states that have clear, state-level protections for decentralized technologies such as Bitcoin mining, node validation, A.I., and scientific computing.
What HB 2342 Really Means
In January 2025, Representative Teresa Martinez introduced HB 2342, which targets what it calls “computational power.” As a result, cities and counties will not be able to prohibit or limit residents from running blockchain nodes or, going forward, mining digital assets from home, under this law.
Specifically, the bill:
- Prevents local zoning laws from prohibiting people from using computational power at home.
- Defines computational power broadly to include AI, blockchain, cloud computing, and high-performance scientific research.
- And then declares regulation of these activities a statewide concern, making cities and counties powerless to regulate them.
Granting legal protection in this way could enable tech-savvy residents and entrepreneurs to operate decentralized infrastructure without worrying about local enforcement or shutdowns.
Post Comment