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Task force or study body Confirmed
Montana Blockchain and Digital Innovation Task Force (MBDITF) · Concluded
- Created by: Senate Bill 330 (2025 session), signed by Gov. Greg Gianforte on May 5, 2025 (per state task force page)
- Organized by: Montana Legislature (SB 330). Administrative support provided by the Division of Banking and Financial Institutions, Montana Department of Administration. Reports to the Economic Affairs Interim Committee and the Legislative Council.
- Led by: Co-chairs: Sen. Gayle Lammers and Rep. Curtis Schomer (task force page and final report; final report dated July 2026)
- Members: Legislators: Reps. Kelly Kortum and Brandon Ler (Speaker of the House); Sens. Shane Morigeau and Daniel Zolnikov. Officials: State Auditor Jim Brown (Commissioner of Securities and Insurance; designees attend), a designee of Attorney General Austin Knudsen, Kevin Gilbertson (CIO, Dept. of Administration). Public/industry members include Tanner Avery (Frontier Institute), Mark Baker (ABS Legal), Bill Bickle (Stockman Bank), Loren Brown (Ascent Bank), Randy Chesler (Glacier Bancorp), Leigh Drogen (Starkiller Capital), Julie Fredrickson, Alex Miller, Guillermo Perez-Ochoa, Daniel Pittman, Thad Pryor, Sam Sill (Montana Bankers Association).
- Outputs and timeline: Meetings: Oct 6, 2025 (online), Dec 15, 2025, Feb 11, 2026, Apr 23, 2026, Jun 1, 2026. Final Report delivered to the Economic Affairs Interim Committee (statutory deadline July 1, 2026). Report presents options without formal votes: kiosk regulation versus ban, no state stablecoin framework for now (rely on federal GENIUS Act/OCC pathway; revisit fall 2026 or 2027 session), in-kind custody of unclaimed digital assets, a government crypto wallet for seized assets, and a possible layer-1 reserve as an option.
Sources: Task force official page (Dept. of Administration), MBDITF Final Report (PDF), April 23, 2026 meeting minutes, December 15, 2025 meeting minutes, SB 330 text (link as listed on the task force page), Daily Montanan coverage of first meeting (Oct 8, 2025)
Task force page lists the membership above (source read this session; page also mentions a Jun 1, 2026 meeting). The April 2026 minutes did not state a sunset date. Status 'concluded' is inferred from the delivered final report; the page does not use that word.
Bitcoin or digital asset reserve law Reported
HB 429 (2025, 'Inflation Protection Act of 2025') would have let the Board of Investments hold precious metals and digital assets, including stablecoins, through a special revenue account. Cointelegraph reports the House rejected it 41-59 in Feb 2025. The state legislature tracker page we could open shows only introduction (2/7/25) and referral (2/10/25), so the floor vote rests on secondary reporting. The July 2026 task force report lists a 'strategic layer-1 reserve' only as a policy option and notes no state crypto wallet exists.
Sources: HB 429 bill page (Legiplex tracker; shows introduction and referral only), Cointelegraph: Montana House rejects bitcoin reserve bill, HB 429 bill text (Montana Free Press tracker), MBDITF Final Report
Licensing Confirmed
The task force's final report states that Montana does not currently license money transmitters, so no money transmitter or virtual currency license applies to crypto businesses or kiosks. Options discussed include licensing kiosk operators as money transmitters (Nebraska and North Dakota do this, per the report). SB 265 (Financial Freedom and Innovation Act, effective Oct 1, 2025) instead creates a certification pathway and securities exemption for 'network token' issuers, bans CBDC acceptance, and protects self-custody and node operation (per a state-posted Dec 2025 presentation).
Sources: MBDITF Final Report, The State of Crypto/Blockchain Law in 2025 (task force meeting presentation)
Crypto kiosks (ATMs) Confirmed
No enacted Montana kiosk law found. The final report frames two options (regulation with a $1,000 daily limit, refunds, ID checks, receipts, holds; or a ban like Indiana, Minnesota and Tennessee) and says the Commissioner of Securities and Insurance plans to bring an agency bill. Next regular session is 2027.
Sources: MBDITF Final Report, April 23, 2026 task force minutes
Other 2025 to 2026 actions
- 2025-10-01 (effective): SB 265, the Financial Freedom and Innovation Act: bars state/local acceptance of a central bank digital currency, protects self-custody, node running and staking, and creates a certification route and securities exemption for network tokens (Reported via state-hosted presentation; bill text not opened).
- 2025-04-17: SB 426 signed, updating the Uniform Commercial Code for digital assets (Reported via same presentation; bill text not opened).
- 2026-07: Task force final report recommends in-kind custody for unclaimed digital assets, no state stablecoin framework before federal GENIUS Act rules, and a state wallet for seized crypto (options only; no formal votes).
Sources: Task force presentation on 2025 Montana crypto law, Task force presentation on 2025 Montana crypto law, MBDITF Final Report
Source notes: HB 429 floor vote date and count come from secondary press (the vote date reported by the page summary we read was Feb 22, 2025; confirm against the legislature's record). Task force page may not reflect later changes. The task force's recommendations are options only; any 2027 bills are not yet filed. Final report date appears only as 'July 2026'.
Frequently asked
Does Montana have a crypto or blockchain task force?
Montana has had 1 such body: Montana Blockchain and Digital Innovation Task Force (concluded). Our confidence in this entry is Confirmed. The entry above lists who created it, who organized and leads it, and where the public records are.
Does Montana have a bitcoin or digital asset reserve law?
Our research shows the status as failed (confidence: Reported). HB 429 (2025, 'Inflation Protection Act of 2025') would have let the Board of Investments hold precious metals and digital assets, including stablecoins, through a special revenue account. Cointelegraph reports the House rejected it 41-59 in Feb 2025. The state legislature tracker page we could open shows only introduction (2/7/25) and referral (2/10/25), so the floor vote rests on secondary reporting. The July 2026 task force report lists a 'strategic layer-1 reserve' only as a policy option and notes no state crypto wallet exists.
Does Montana regulate crypto kiosks (ATMs)?
Our research shows none found (confidence: Confirmed). No enacted Montana kiosk law found. The final report frames two options (regulation with a $1,000 daily limit, refunds, ID checks, receipts, holds; or a ban like Indiana, Minnesota and Tennessee) and says the Commissioner of Securities and Insurance plans to bring an agency bill. Next regular session is 2027.
This page is part of our 50-state crypto legislation and task force tracker. Each entry is labeled Confirmed, Reported, Unclear or None found; see the tracker for how we research it.