Mississippi Passes Law Protecting Bitcoin Miners From Discrimination

by James · February 9, 2023

Lawmakers from the Mississippi Senate have passed a new law that establishes a framework to protect Bitcoin (BTC) miners in the state.

Dubbed “Right to Mine,” the bill would protect Bitcoin mining from state discrimination while recognizing the activity’s ability to boost the economy and stabilize the web, a chirping of Documenting Bitcoin on February 9 indicated.

“It shall be lawful in the State of Mississippi to operate a node for the purpose of mining digital assets in the home” and “operate a digital asset mining business,” the bill states.

The bill, sponsored by Senator Josh Harkins, has used language from the Satoshi Action Fund, a non-profit organization established to educate lawmakers and regulators about the benefits of Bitcoin.

In fact, Satoshi Action Fund founder Dennis Porter pointed out that despite the bill passing, more work still needs to be done.

I am proud to have been a part of this historic step in Mississippi. There is still more work to do. We need to get this bill passed on the House side and signed by the governor, but I and @SatoshiActFund are ready to fight for your right to mine #Bitcoin and run a node. https://t.co/uZJAxK6HO6

— Dennis Porter (@Dennis_Porter_) 9 February 2023

Anti-discrimination protection areas

The new law states that it will be illegal to discriminate in energy prices targeting Bitcoin miners in addition to prohibiting the mining operation from being considered money transfer.

In particular, the latest action from Mississippi highlights the growing interest from states across America that want to benefit from adopting Bitcoin and using it in their energy networks. This comes at a time when the US is accelerating its push to regulate the crypto sector, with Bitcoin mining ranking high among the talking points.

However, there is still disagreement about the possible energy consumption of mining and its impact on the environment. As reported by Finbiold, Democratic leaders are therefore pushing environmental regulatory agencies to force mine operators to disclose their power consumption and pollution.

At the same time, some lawmakers recognize Bitcoin’s ability to serve as a form of currency. In particular, Arizona’s Senate recently introduced a bill that seeks to declare Bitcoin as legal tender. If the bill passes, government agencies will use cryptocurrencies to pay taxes and fines, among other things.