Where the council stands.

Establish a Georgia Strategic Bitcoin Reserve

Bitcoin's properties as a long-term store of value and inflation hedge are increasingly recognized in policy circles, and Georgia's bipartisan SB 178 and SB 228 reflect that recognition. Both bills authorize the state treasurer to invest a portion of state funds in bitcoin and remain alive in Georgia's two-year legislative cycle.

Fund the reserve through voluntary lottery scratch-off proceeds

The political obstacle to state bitcoin reserves is not the concept — it is the funding mechanism. Using taxpayer dollars to acquire bitcoin invites criticism from across the political spectrum. We propose an alternative: a dedicated bitcoin-themed Georgia Lottery scratch-off game whose net proceeds flow directly to the reserve. The mechanism is voluntary, self-sustaining, and modeled on Texas's veterans' scratch-off program, which has raised over $290 million for veterans' assistance since 2009.

Establish a statewide framework for bitcoin mining operations

Georgia is the second-largest bitcoin mining state in America, but the regulatory landscape is fragmenting. A patchwork of county-level bans, moratoriums, and restrictive ordinances threatens an industry that represents hundreds of millions of dollars in capital investment and supports rural communities across the state. A clear, balanced state framework would give miners regulatory certainty, give communities meaningful protections, and end the race to the bottom driven by anti-mining model ordinances.

Recognize bitcoin mining as a beneficial energy citizen

Bitcoin mining is a uniquely flexible electrical load that can support grid reliability, monetize stranded and curtailed energy, and provide demand-response services that benefit all ratepayers. Georgia's mining industry has negotiated competitive power purchase agreements that reflect this value. State policy should recognize and protect this role — and should not single out mining facilities for adverse treatment under data center tax provisions or energy regulations.

Protect the right to self-custody and operate in the bitcoin economy

Bitcoin's foundational properties — individual sovereignty, voluntary exchange, and permissionless participation — depend on the right of individuals and businesses to hold their own keys, run nodes, develop software, and transact peer-to-peer. These rights are foundational and should be protected explicitly under Georgia law.

Encourage adoption of bitcoin-blockchain timestamping for election integrity and public records

Bitcoin's immutable ledger can be used to cryptographically anchor election results, voter rolls, and other sensitive public records, providing tamper-evident verification without exposing the underlying data. Screven County, Georgia became the first U.S. county to secure its election results on the Bitcoin blockchain in November 2024 — a Georgia-specific milestone that positions the state as a national leader in this emerging application of bitcoin technology.