Share this article
Arizona's Blockchain 'Node Rights' Law Is Nearing Passage
Arizona House Bill 2602, which would protect blockchain node operators from local regulations, was approved by two Senate committees.
By Nikhilesh De
Updated Sep 13, 2021, 7:42 a.m. Published Mar 19, 2018, 2:05 a.m.
Make us preferred on Google
A proposed law that would put in place protections for operators of blockchain network nodes is inching closer toward passage, public records show.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today. See all newsletters
, sponsored by Representative Jeff Weninger, received "do pass" recommendations from the State Senate Rules Committee and the Committee of the Whole last week, setting the measure up for a vote by the full Senate. Both caucuses within the Senate have also given their approval, according to data from LegiScan, which tracks legislative developments in the U.S.
While it's not exactly clear when the final vote will take place, the bill passed the state's House of Representatives just days after similar endorsements were made in February. The measure previously passed the House with a vote of 55 to 4, with one representative abstaining, on February 20.
The bill would protect users running blockchain nodes from being subjected to any form of local regulation, stating that "a city or town may not prohibit or otherwise restrict an individual from running a node on blockchain technology in a residence." Similar language puts in place a prohibition on county-level regulations.
As previously reported, it is unclear whether the measure would be restricted to cryptocurrency miners, but if signed into law, though the text suggests that the protections are aimed at covering the energy-intensive process.
"For the purposes of this section, 'running a node on blockchain technology' means providing computing power to validate or encrypt transactions in blockchain technology," the bill states.
Another bill sponsored by Weninger, 2603, also passed the Senate Transportation and Technology Committee unanimously last week. As previously reported, this bill, if passed and signed into law, would amend Arizona’s regulations to legally recognize data stored on a blockchain.
Computer hardware image via Shutterstock
More For You
Pudgy Penguins is building a multi-vertical consumer IP platform — combining phygital products, games, NFTs and PENGU to monetize culture at scale.
What to know:
Pudgy Penguins is emerging as one of the strongest NFT-native brands of this cycle, shifting from speculative “digital luxury goods” into a multi-vertical consumer IP platform. Its strategy is to acquire users through mainstream channels first; toys, retail partnerships and viral media, then onboard them into Web3 through games, NFTs and the PENGU token.
The ecosystem now spans phygital products (> $13M retail sales and >1M units sold), games and experiences (Pudgy Party surpassed 500k downloads in two weeks), and a widely distributed token (airdropped to 6M+ wallets). While the market is currently pricing Pudgy at a premium relative to traditional IP peers, sustained success depends on execution across retail expansion, gaming adoption and deeper token utility.
More For You
Bitcoin tumbles to 2026 low of $85,200 as gold reverses big gains, Microsoft leads Nasdaq lower
Soaring to $5,600 at one point earlier on Thursday, gold quickly pulled back to below the $5,200 level in U.S. morning trade.
What to know:
- Already sitting on overnight losses, bitcoin's decline accelerated in U.S. morning trade, with the price falling back to $85,200, a new low for 2026.
- The quick selloff came amid a reversal in gold’s breathtaking rally, which had sent the yellow metal soaring above $5,600 at one point Thursday before quickly falling back to $5,200.
- The Nasdaq was also sharply lower, falling 1.5%, as Microsoft declined more than 11% following its fourth-quarter earnings report.
Top Stories
