Arizona State Senator Wendy Rogers has once again proposed to make bitcoin legal tender in the state. In a tweet, Rogers cited Goldman Sachs data that the first cryptocurrency is “the most profitable asset in the world this year.” She said she and her colleagues have proposed several bills, one of which seeks to allow bitcoin as a form of payment in Arizona.
If passed, the bill would give the cryptocurrency the same status as the U.S. dollar. Residents of the state would be able to pay taxes and fees with digital gold.
Rogers introduced a similar bill in January 2022. It received no support. However, the U.S. Constitution does not allow individual states to create their own legal tender.
Earlier, the Colorado Department of Revenue allowed residents to make tax payments in digital gold, ethereum, bitcoin cash and litecoin. Earlier, California proposed to allow cryptocurrency payments for government services.
In May 2021, the city of Williston, North Dakota, announced a partnership with the BitPay processing service. As part of the agreement, local residents were allowed to pay for utilities with bitcoin.
Recall that in September 2021, the government of El Salvador recognized bitcoin as a legal means of payment.
In the summer of 2022, the country’s finance minister, Alejandro Zelaya, said that the introduction of digital gold had expanded access to financial services for a largely unbanked population, attracting tourists and investment.
