Indiana: Crypto Task Force and Legislation

Task force: Proposed onlyReserve: None foundKiosks: Law

Task force or study body Confirmed

Indiana Blockchain and Digital Assets Task Force (proposed in HB 1042 as introduced; not enacted) · Proposed, not established

• Created by: Proposed as a new IC 2-5-56 in the introduced version of HB 1042 (2026 session). The enrolled act (HEA 1042) does not contain it, so no task force was created by that law.
• Organized by: Not applicable. The introduced bill did not name a host body or members.
• Led by: Not applicable (never constituted).
• Members: Not applicable. The introduced text did not specify membership.
• Outputs and timeline: As introduced, the task force would have evaluated government use cases, consumer protection, tax administration and investment governance for digital assets during the 2026 interim, recommended legislation for the 2027 session for up to two state or local blockchain pilot projects (to be administered by the Department of Financial Institutions), and reported by Nov. 1, 2026, with the chapter expiring Dec. 31, 2028. None of this survived into the enrolled act.

Sources: HB 1042 as introduced (iga.in.gov PDF): task force at IC 2-5-56, HEA 1042 enrolled text (iga.in.gov PDF): no task force section, The Block: signing report (no task force mentioned)

Resolved: the Blockchain and Digital Assets Task Force did not survive into HEA 1042. We have not separately searched Indiana Legislative Council interim study committee assignments for 2026; a topic assignment there would not appear in the bill text.

Bitcoin or digital asset reserve law Confirmed

Indiana has no bitcoin or digital-asset reserve and no state-fund crypto investment authority. Our earlier record's use of 'enacted' for the reserve was wrong. HB 1042 (HEA 1042, 2026, Rep. Kyle Pierce) is a retirement-plan and digital-asset-rights law: it requires the board of the state defined contribution fund (IC 2-3.5-5-3.3), the deferred compensation committee (IC 5-10-1.1-4.3), and the boards for the annuity savings accounts and plans under IC 5-10.3 and IC 5-10.4 to offer a self-directed brokerage account with at least one cryptocurrency option by July 1, 2027. The enrolled text does not mention the state treasurer, and does not authorize investment of state general funds or any reserve. The introduced version had allowed the treasurer to invest local government investment pool funds in stablecoin ETFs and let various pension trusts hold crypto ETFs, but those provisions are not in the enrolled act. The enrolled act also adds IC 5-36, which bars state agencies (other than DFI) and local units from restricting digital asset payments, self-hosted wallets, nodes, staking or mining (zoning rules still apply), bars discriminatory crypto taxes or fees, and limits courts from compelling disclosure of private keys. Press reports (The Block) also name Hoosier START among covered plans, but the enrolled text we read does not name it, so we do not rely on that detail. Governor Mike Braun signed the bill March 3, 2026 (The Block, citing the governor's bill-watch page). All provisions take effect July 1, 2026, with the plan-access deadline July 1, 2027 (enrolled text).

Sources: HEA 1042 enrolled text (iga.in.gov PDF), HB 1042 as introduced (iga.in.gov PDF), for comparison, The Block: governor signs (Mar. 3, 2026), JD Supra summary of the enacted law

Licensing Confirmed

Indiana's money transmitter law (IC 28-8-4, revised by SEA 458, signed May 4, 2023, effective Jan. 1, 2024) is administered by the Department of Financial Institutions. DFI's guidance states that Indiana did not adopt the virtual currency or payroll-processing portions of the model law, so there is no virtual-currency-specific licensing scheme. HEA 1042 adds an exclusion from 'money transmission' (IC 28-8-4.1-201) for developing or using software for noncustodial digital asset transfers, effective July 1, 2026. We have not confirmed how DFI treats custodial exchanges under the general money transmission definition beyond the guidance cited here.

Sources: DFI: SEA 458 guidance, HEA 1042 enrolled text, Sec. 12

Crypto kiosks (ATMs) Confirmed

Indiana banned virtual currency kiosks outright. HB 1116 (Rep. Wendy McNamara) was enrolled as HEA 1116 and, per Orrick, signed by the governor on March 9, 2026. It takes effect on passage under an emergency clause. It adds a new IC 28-8-7 that prohibits any person from operating a virtual currency kiosk in Indiana, and it makes a violation a deceptive act under the Deceptive Consumer Sales Act (new item 44 in IC 24-5-0.5-3). The attorney general may sue kiosk operators and any premises owner who knowingly or intentionally allows a violation. For knowing or intentional violations a court may order forfeiture of charges collected from users, forfeiture of operator-owned kiosks in Indiana, and payment of the attorney general's investigative costs. The enrolled act has no licensing, fee cap, transaction limit or refund scheme, which differs from the licensing-and-limits version described when the bill was heard in a Senate committee on Feb. 4, 2026. The Indiana House Republicans published a release on a ceremonial signing (dated May 6, 2026). We have not seen the public law number, and the enrolled PDF we read did not show signature lines filled in, so the signing date relies on Orrick's report. The earlier reference to a 'statewide kiosk ban approved by the legislature' (Bitcoin Magazine) is consistent with this.

Sources: HEA 1116 enrolled text (iga.in.gov PDF), Orrick: governor signs law prohibiting kiosks (Mar. 20, 2026), Indiana House Republicans: ceremonial signing (May 6, 2026), Indiana Capital Chronicle via IPM (Feb. 5, 2026): committee hearing

Industry groups (non-governmental)

• Stand With Crypto Indiana Chapter: Advocacy chapter launched Sept. 11, 2025 in Indianapolis; hosted by chapter president Rick Tapia and vice president Brandon Street (per the event page). We found no Indiana state blockchain council or association comparable to NABA's members, and no evidence of NABA membership. We found no source saying an Indiana body follows The Digital Chamber's model task force bill.

Sources: Stand With Crypto Indiana kickoff event

Other 2025 to 2026 actions

• 2026-03-03: Gov. Mike Braun signed HB 1042: crypto option required in state retirement and deferred compensation plans by July 1, 2027; protections for self-custody, nodes, staking and mining; no discriminatory crypto taxes; noncustodial software excluded from money transmission. The task force and state-fund investment provisions in the introduced bill were removed.
• 2026-03-09: HEA 1116 signed (per Orrick): Indiana prohibits operation of virtual currency kiosks, enforced by the attorney general through the Deceptive Consumer Sales Act, effective on passage.
• 2025-09-11: Stand With Crypto launched an Indiana chapter at an Indianapolis event (non-governmental).

Sources: The Block, HEA 1042 enrolled text, Orrick, HEA 1116 enrolled text, Event page

Source notes: Primary sources read: enrolled and introduced HB 1042 and enrolled HB 1116 on iga.in.gov, and DFI's SEA 458 guidance. The iga.in.gov bill status page (action history and public law numbers) could not be accessed, so signing dates come from The Block (HB 1042) and Orrick (HB 1116), and public law numbers are not confirmed. Leader information is not applicable because no task force exists.