Texas Moves Closer to Bitcoin Reserves as House Passes Amended Bill—Senate Showdown Looms

Texas lawmakers just turbocharged the state’s crypto credibility. The House passed a revised bill allowing Bitcoin reserves—now it’s back to the Senate for a final vote. No more ’wait-and-see’; this is a full-throttle push to legitimize crypto in the heart of oil country.

Wall Street won’t like this one. If the Senate greenlights it, Texas could become the first state to treat Bitcoin like a strategic asset—not just a speculative toy for VC bros. The amendments? Still under wraps, but insiders say they tighten loopholes that could’ve let politicians off the hook.

One step closer to a future where Texas hodls harder than your average Reddit trader. The irony? A state built on black gold might just bank its future on digital gold—assuming the Senate doesn’t bottle it.

Bitcoin reserve

The proposal allows the state comptroller to acquire Bitcoin using surplus General Revenue, subject to reporting rules that mirror those applied to Gold bullion held in the Texas Bullion Depository.

Congressman Giovanni Capriglione, one of the bill’s primary sponsors, told colleagues during floor debate ahead of the tally: 

He added that a Bitcoin reserve not only strengthens Texas’s fiscal sovereignty but also positions the state as a forward‑thinking region prepared for the evolution of global finance.

If approved by the Governor, Texas will become the third US state to direct public funds into Bitcoin as part of a strategic reserve framework, following Arizona and New Hampshire.

The US state WOULD initiate Bitcoin purchases only after the comptroller publishes procurement guidelines in the Texas Register and secures a storage contract that satisfies the statute’s location requirement.

Legislative pathway

The Senate. Sen. Charles Schwertner, the bill author, argued that allocating a slice of Texas’s available cash to Bitcoin can protect purchasing power during monetary shocks. 

Under the text advanced to the governor, the comptroller must disclose acquisition dates, unit counts, and aggregate cost basis each quarter. 

The legislation does not impose a dollar‑denominated cap. Still, it requires holdings to be custodied with a qualified entity inside Texas or within a US jurisdiction that recognizes Bitcoin as property. 

The bill also instructs the comptroller to study potential revenue streams tied to network participation, including Lightning‑enabled payment rails for state fees.

Those findings are due to the House Appropriations Committee by January 2026, setting up a review ahead of the 89th Legislature.