New Hampshire has enacted the Blockchain Basics Law, strengthening protections for blockchain and cryptocurrency users.

On July 13 local time, blockchain outlet Decrypt reported that New Hampshire Governor Kelly Ayotte signed the HB639 bill last week.

The law includes safeguards for cryptocurrency use in the state and for blockchain innovation. It legally supports users' rights to self-custody digital assets. It also includes clear protections for blockchain developers, miners, validators, entrepreneurs and related companies. The law also allows the superior court to establish a special case process to handle blockchain disputes.

State Representative Keith Ammon, who sponsored the bill, said Ayotte's signature again showed New Hampshire's determination to lead blockchain innovation. He stressed that the law protects the right to self-custody, one of the most basic rights in the digital economy. He also said it provides clear legal protections for developers and businesses building next-generation financial technology.

The legislation follows New Hampshire's introduction last year of a strategic bitcoin reserve. New Hampshire was the first U.S. state to introduce a strategic bitcoin reserve system, and a law signed in May 2025 allowed the state treasurer to invest up to 5 percent of public funds in bitcoin and precious metals such as gold and silver.

Ammon previously explained the system could serve as a small hedging tool against future inflation. He also described the signing of HB639 as another major step in enacting one of the most comprehensive blockchain rights laws in the United States. He added that entrepreneurs, investors, developers and innovators should know New Hampshire is open to blockchain business.

New Hampshire's pro-crypto policies have not immediately expanded in every area. The state's executive council rejected a proposal last week that would have allowed the New Hampshire Business Finance Authority to support bitcoin-backed municipal bonds. It showed that while the strategic reserve and the new basic law have expanded the institutional foundation, caution still applies at the level of public financial products.

As a result, New Hampshire is showing a dual track: expanding legal protections for self-custody and blockchain industry activity on one hand, while placing limits on public procurement and bond structures that use bitcoin on the other. With a state-level bitcoin reserve and blockchain rights legislation continuing, the next focal point is likely to be how far the use of cryptocurrencies will be allowed in public finance going forward.