Bitcoin: South Dakota Follows in the Footsteps of Texas and Arizona

South Dakota wants its share of the digital pie. A new bill proposal could allow the state to invest part of its public funds in bitcoin. The idea resurfaces after an initial failure in 2025.

South Dakota wants to integrate bitcoin into its public funds

Republican representative Logan Manhart returns with the HB 1155 project. This would authorize the state to invest up to 10% of its public funds in bitcoin.

Very close to a previous rejected one, this text aims concretely to modify the local financial code to entrust this allocation to the State Investment Council. South Dakota would thus join states like Texas, Arizona, and New Hampshire, already converted to institutional adoption of bitcoin.

These territories consider the king of digital assets as a potential reserve, just like gold and other safe havens. But not only! In this context, cryptocurrencies would represent more than a diversification tool. Some legislators see them as a statement of financial sovereignty.

Security, strategy, and tensions around bitcoin adoption

The HB 1155 bill does not just bet on BTC volatility. It also includes precise secure storage protocols: multi-signature governance, encrypted keys, and physical hardware. These safeguards aim to reassure a population still wary of hacking risks or mismanagement.

Behind this initiative, a national trend emerges. At the federal level, a decree by US President Donald Trump mentioned in 2025 the creation of a strategic bitcoin reserve. But lack of clear legislative support still hinders its implementation.

Discussions around alternative crypto investment pit innovation supporters against defenders of classic public management rules. The movement is nevertheless gaining ground, driven by logic of disintermediation and reduced dependence on the dollar.

At any rate, the return of this legislative text reflects an evolution: American states no longer wait for Washington’s impulse to carve their path in the bitcoin universe. Other jurisdictions might soon cross this threshold!