Ohio lawmakers are advancing a series of bills focused on digital asset regulation, including cryptocurrency taxes and mining activities. House Bill 116 has been introduced in the state House, encompassing provisions aiming to influence how crypto is taxed and its connection with mining. Notably, it proposes prohibiting local governments from imposing taxes or fees on transactions involving virtual assets, while exempting those related to legal tender. This bill also seeks to protect miners’ rights by allowing self-custody of digital assets and preventing local zoning ordinances from overriding individual preferences. Additionally, Ohio retirement funds are obligated to assess the potential risks and benefits of crypto ETFs before reporting their findings to the General Assembly within a year. Alongside HB 116, other cryptocurrency legislation is under consideration. The Ohio Bitcoin Reserve Act (HB 703) and Senate Bill 57 both propose creating state-managed bitcoin reserves. State Rep. Steve Demetriou introduced the Strategic Cryptocurrency Reserve Bill (HB 18), which allows for a potential investment of up to 10% of various state funds in digital assets, based on his analysis of constituent interest.