On 23 February 2023, the Montana Senate formally approved a bill establishing rules to protect cryptocurrency miners. This law would provide protection against the potential dangers miners may face.
The law that was passed by the Senate will be sent to the House of Representatives for further consideration. The bill protects home mining operations by prohibiting discrimination in utility rates and exempting cryptocurrency payments from additional taxes.
The new law took away the power of local authorities to express their opinions and pass laws that could put an end to the mining of digital assets within their boundaries. Apply any rules that will lead to the termination of current activities.
Experts believe that the recently passed law could effectively annul Missoula County's 2020 zoning ordinance. This ruling required that all bitcoin (BTC) miners purchase or create assets from renewable energy sources. The Missoula County authorities did not respond in any way to CoinDesk's questions when it became known.
Analysts in the cryptocurrency sector have noted that US environmentalists and lawmakers have long targeted bitcoin miners because of their potential harmful effects on the environment, as well as the strain they place on the power grid. Over the past few months, digital asset miners have actively resisted this repression - with some five bills currently moving forward in the US legislature to protect their industry. In particular, the Satoshi Action Fund group cooperates with expert lawyers to develop legal formulations.
