Wisconsin lawmakers have introduced Assembly Bill 471 (AB471), a measure that would exempt individuals and businesses in the state from needing a money transmitter license from the Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) for various digital asset activities.
The proposed exemptions specifically cover:
- Crypto mining
- Staking
- Developing blockchain software
- Exchanging digital assets, provided the transaction does not involve the conversion to legal tender or bank deposits.
Furthermore, the bill prohibits state or local agencies from restricting the acceptance of digital assets for payment for legal goods and services or the custody of digital assets using self-hosted or hardware wallets. It also explicitly permits operating a blockchain node, transferring digital assets, and participating in staking.
Sponsored by Republican lawmakers, the bill aims to reduce the legal ambiguity surrounding state-level crypto regulation amid increasing adoption. The bill, which currently has a 25% progression rate, has been referred to the Committee on Financial Institutions and must pass through further legislative hurdles before it can be enacted.
September 2025, Cryptoniteuae
