Republican senator Wendy Rogers introduced a bill on Jan. 25 that proposes including Bitcoin (BTC) in the list of currencies accepted as legal tender in Arizona. If passed, Arizona would become the first state in the U.S. to embrace Bitcoin as an official currency.
The bill, if approved, will enable Arizona residents to buy and sell goods and services, and pay taxes and dues with BTC.
Rogers had previously introduced bill SB 1341 seeking to make Bitcoin legal tender in January 2022. The new bill, SB 1235, proposes amending the definition of legal tender to include BTC in existing laws in addition to declaring the largest cryptocurrency as legal tender.
It is questionable, however, whether Arizona will be able to enact the bill into law. The U.S. Constitution specifically restricts states from creating their own legal tender.
