Arkansas Rejects Crypto Mining Restrictions

The Arkansas Senate has rejected Senate Bill 60, which would have prohibited crypto mining facilities within a 30-mile radius of any military facility in the state.

The bill required digital asset mining operations within this zone to cease operations unless they had obtained permits before December 31, 2024.

Arkansas Lawmakers Say No to Crypto Mining Restrictions

Senate Bill 60, titled “To Prohibit a Digital Asset Mining Business from Being Located Within a Thirty-Mile Radius of a Military Facility,” was rejected on Thursday in a 6-1 vote, according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

Senator Ricky Hill and Representative Brian S. Evans introduced the bill. They argued that while digital asset mining—commonly known as crypto mining—presents economic opportunities, it also carries risks.

“Risks posed by digital asset mining include without limitation threats to national security and the security of the State of Arkansas,” the bill read.

The bill added that these crypto mining risks are heightened when such facilities operate within a thirty-mile radius of military bases in Arkansas.

“This act is immediately necessary in order to ensure the health and safety of the State of Arkansas and its citizens,” the bill asserted.  

Had it passed, the legislation would have required digital asset mining businesses within the designated radius to shut down. This would have applied unless they had obtained permits from the Oil and Gas Commission before December 31, 2024.

Additionally, ongoing construction of mining facilities within these zones would have been required to cease. The bill also granted the Attorney General the authority to investigate potential violations. This included the power to issue subpoenas and collect sworn statements to enforce compliance.

Despite these provisions, the bill failed to gain sufficient support, leaving digital asset mining businesses free to operate without the proposed restrictions.

This development follows Arkansas’ April 2023 “Right to Mine” law. The law protected Bitcoin mining activities in the state by loosening restrictions on commercial crypto mining. Nonetheless, it faced substantial opposition, with critics citing environmental and energy consumption concerns.

Meanwhile, lawmakers in North Dakota have introduced legislation to safeguard the rights of cryptocurrency users and miners. Representative Nathan Toman has put forward a bill designed to protect fundamental Bitcoin-related rights.

Dennis Porter, CEO of the Satoshi Action Fund, confirmed the bill’s introduction via social media platform X (formerly Twitter).

“This bill will protect the: Right-to-Mine – Right Self-Custody – Right to Peer-2-peer Transactions – Right to Run a Node,” Porter stated.

These developments come as interest in crypto grows at the national level. President Donald Trump, now serving his second term, has voiced strong support for the domestic Bitcoin mining industry. He has publicly advocated for all future Bitcoin mining to take place within the US, reinforcing his administration’s pro-crypto stance.