While federal agencies continue to shape national crypto regulation, a growing number of U.S. states are independently evaluating how blockchain technology could play a role in the future of public infrastructure, finance, and data management.

Though most states are still in the early phases, a clear pattern is emerging. Some are commissioning research and building expertise. Others are updating financial laws or designing crypto-specific licensing regimes. A few are even considering ways to directly hold, issue, or manage digital assets. Together, these initiatives form a state-level blockchain maturity curve with three common phases: strategic exploration, regulatory foundations, and public asset engagement.

Strategic Exploration 

States in this phase are building institutional knowledge about blockchain and exploring potential public-sector applications. These efforts often take the form of task forces, research commissions, or university partnerships that provide forward-looking analysis without requiring full-scale deployment.

• California published a Blockchain Working Group Roadmap recommending pilots for procurement, identity, and public records.
• Maryland proposed a Digital Asset and Blockchain Task Force to explore applications across government services.
• New York proposed a statewide blockchain commission to assess economic and regulatory impacts of digital assets.
• Texas released a Blockchain Matters Work Group Report proposing workforce and policy initiatives.
• Utah formed a Blockchain and Digital Innovation Task Force to study blockchain and submit annual policy recommendations.

Regulatory Foundations

States in this phase are laying the legal foundation for blockchain adoption, including defining digital assets in law and creating clear, crypto-friendly licensing regimes that attract innovation while protecting consumers.

• Connecticut expanded digital asset regulation with an update to virtual currency licensing.
• Florida legally defined “virtual currency” and updated its financial regulations.
• New Jersey enacted a Digital Currency Jobs Creation Act and established licensing and consumer protection mechanisms for crypto firms.
• North Carolina updated its Money Transmitter Act to explicitly include virtual currencies.
• Ohio authorized blockchain use in government operations through a public-sector smart contracts law.

Asset Strategy 

A smaller but growing number of states are now exploring how blockchain-based assets could play a role in public finance. In this phase, policymakers are introducing legislation or holding hearings to evaluate whether assets like Bitcoin, stablecoins, or tokenized reserves could support treasury diversification or improve payment infrastructure.

• Maryland proposed a Bitcoin reserve fund funded by asset forfeiture proceeds.
• Missouri proposed a state-held digital asset reserve to let the State treasurer invest and hold certain qualifying digital assets.
• North Carolina introduced legislation to enable a state crypto investment strategy, allocating up to 10% of reserve funds to Bitcoin.
• Wyoming approved the Wyoming Stable Token Act to issue a fully collateralized, dollar-backed state stablecoin.

How Chainlink Supports State Blockchain Priorities

As state governments explore the potential of blockchain technology, Chainlink provides the secure, modular infrastructure needed to move from research to practical applications. 

For states in the early phases of strategic exploration, Chainlink Functions can support academic institutions, innovation offices, and task forces by enabling rapid prototyping of smart contracts that interact with real-world systems. These pilots can simulate how blockchains might connect to procurement databases, environmental sensors, or identity frameworks, allowing states to assess the value of blockchain-based solutions without having to commit to production infrastructure.

For states building regulatory foundations, Chainlink’s track record working with governments, central banks, and regulated institutions globally provides a strong basis for understanding how to implement blockchain with public-sector safeguards in mind. From powering use cases under the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s Project Guardian to formalizing a global blockchain standards alliance with Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), Chainlink has helped demonstrate what’s technically feasible within highly regulated environments. This experience can inform how states draft legislation and oversight frameworks that align with both innovation goals and government-level risk standards.

For states considering digital asset strategies such as holding Bitcoin or issuing stablecoins, Chainlink Proof of Reserve offers a way to maintain financial transparency and public accountability. By providing real-time, cryptographic verification that assets are fully backed, Chainlink Proof of Reserve can help state treasuries and oversight bodies ensure that tokenized reserves remain secure and independently auditable.

Chainlink supports governments across every phase of blockchain engagement, helping them operate in ways that are secure, transparent, and aligned with public-sector priorities.

Conclusion 

States are increasingly recognizing that blockchain and digital assets are not abstract technologies. They are practical tools that can support government priorities such as financial transparency, operational efficiency, and economic competitiveness. As outlined in this post, state-level activity is taking shape across three clear fronts: strategic exploration through task forces and academic partnerships, regulatory groundwork through updated financial statutes and licensing regimes, and emerging asset strategies focused on digital reserves and stablecoin frameworks.

By taking initiative in these areas, states are building institutional knowledge and policy flexibility that will serve them well as the technology continues to evolve. Whether the goal is to modernize recordkeeping, improve financial oversight, or evaluate new models for managing public assets, early engagement gives states the ability to shape outcomes rather than react to them.